Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Malabsorption

Table of Contents

Symptoms
  • Bloating, cramping, and gas
  • Bulky stools
  • Chronic diarrhea (may not occur with vitamin malabsorption)
  • Failure to thrive
  • Fatty stools (steatorrhea)
  • Muscle wasting
  • Weight loss

Malabsorption can affect growth and development, or it can lead to specific illnesses.


Signs and tests
  • CT scan of the abdomen
  • Hydrogen breath test
  • Schilling test for vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Secretin stimulation test
  • Small bowel biopsy
  • Stool culture or culture of small intestine aspirate
  • Stool fat testing (See: Quantitative stool fat test)
  • X-rays of the small bowel or other imaging tests

Review Date: 07/07/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)