Secondary lymphangiectasia can be caused by obstruction of lymphatic flow due to which condition?

• A. Inflammatory Bowel Disease causing obstruction
• B. Glomerulonephritis
• C. Hypoadrenocorticism
• D. Acute pancreatitis

Answer: (A)

Secondary intestinal lymphangiectasia happens when something blocks the drainage of lymph from the intestinal wall, causing the lymphatic vessels (lacteals) to dilate and leak into the gut. When inflammatory processes in the gut—such as inflammatory bowel disease—cause swelling, edema, and inflammatory damage to the mucosa, they can interfere with lymphatic flow. That obstruction leads to the characteristic lymphangiectasia and protein-losing enteropathy.

Inflammatory bowel disease fits best because it can produce local inflammation that disrupts lymphatic drainage in the intestine, whereas the other conditions listed (glome­rulonephritis, hypoadrenocorticism, acute pancreatitis) do not primarily obstruct intestinal lymphatics.