Patient with Rare Immunodeficiency Disorder Makes Full Recovery

Strange Swelling and Abdominal Pain

In 2014, 27-year-old UAE national, Ibrahim Yaqoub Ibrahim Al Ali, started noticing swelling in his face, hands and feet, and would experience frequent stomach pain. Ibrahim was unable to live a normal life. He would constantly have to cancel social plans last minute and miss work due to his extreme symptoms. At one point, Ibrahim was rushed to an intensive care unit because he couldn’t breathe. He was treated for an allergic response and then sent home without further investigation.

Ibrahim went to the emergency department several times and traveled to various hospitals around the world to look for answers. Doctors often performed invasive diagnostic tests that produced diagnoses like allergies or infections of the colon, and he was often prescribed opioid pain medications for his stomach pain.

“I had been suffering from periods of very bad pain for years and my quality of life was very poor. In the last year, I was visiting the emergency department four times a week and had started to lose hope that I would ever feel better,” Ibrahim recounts.

A Trip to the Emergency Department at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

One day, Ibrahim was experiencing severe abdominal pain and vomiting. He decided to go to the emergency department at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Ibrahim was evaluated and transferred to the care of Dr. Mohamed Abuzakouk, Consultant in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Medical Subspecialties Institute. Dr. Abuzakouk told Ibrahim that he had seen cases similar to his and ordered a number of tests, including an immunological assessment.

Ibrahim’s tests showed that he was suffering from hereditary angioedema, an inherited disorder than can be potentially life-threatening. Hereditary angioedema is thought to occur in just one in 50,000 people. Moreover, Ibrahim was diagnosed with the less commonly occurring type 2 hereditary angioedema, which occurs in only 15 to 20 percent of cases of hereditary angioedema.

A Correct Diagnosis Leads to Effective Treatment

When properly treated, patients with hereditary angioedema can generally live long, symptom-free lives. For Ibrahim, receiving the correct diagnosis and starting treatment has brought immediate relief. His treatment regimen consists of taking medication twice a day.

“Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi genuinely cares about patients. I experienced other hospitals, and if they didn’t know what the issue was, they would just give me pain medication to stop the pain. But doctors at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi try to find the problem and treat the underlying issue,” explains Ibrahim.

Ibrahim’s life has changed dramatically since he entered the emergency department at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He has gone back to work and enjoys his duties in event security. He has also recovered his social life. When he makes plans with friends, he knows he won’t have to cancel last minute.

“When I reached Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and they told me what was wrong, I could not believe it. Now I have started taking my medication and I feel wonderful. I am so grateful to the doctors for giving me my life back.”