Villous adenoma presents as: September 2010
High-Yield Explanation
Ans. B: Hypokalemia Villous adenomas of the colon usually produce a hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis because of the loss of large volumes of colonic fluid, rich in potassium and bicarbonate. Occasionally, these tumors cause metabolic alkalosis. The mechanism is not well understood. Some authors opine that the hypokalemia caused by these tumors is the etiology of metabolic alkalosis.