Malabsorption Flashcards
Causes
- Iatrogenic : gastric surgery./radiation
- Inflammation: Crohn’s/Coeliac
- Infection
- Whipples disease
- Infiltratory disease such as Amyloidosis
- Impaired motility such as diabetes
- Pancreatic
Infective causes of malabsorption
HIV Giardia Lamblia (parassite contaminates water) Tropical sprue (bacterial overgrowth)
Whipples disease
Tropherma whipelli- causes skin, brain, joint, gut and cardiac effects
Presents with malabsorption, weight loss, ab pain
What is amyloidosis
infiltrative disease
Caused by the build up of amyloid fibrils in the tissues
Impaired motility disease which can lead to malabsorption
- Diabetes
- Sclerosis
- Pseudo obstruction
Investigations
- Bacterial overgrowth tests
- Endoscopy
- Barium swallow
- blood tests
Vitamin deficiency symptoms
Vitamin B12/iron- anaemia Vitamin C- scurvy Vitamin K Vitamin A- night blindness Calcium/magnesium- osteoporosis Vitamin B1 (thiamin)- memory loss Vitamin B3- HF/ Dermatitis
Symptoms
- Vitamin deficiency related symptoms
- Steattoread
- failure to thrive
- weight loss/anorexia
- Dermatitis herpatiformis - COELIAC
- Apthous ulceration- CROHNS
Bacterial overgrowth testing
H2 breath test:
- Fast for 12-15 hours
- Feed carb
- If malabsorption then carbs will not be digested but broken down into H2
Jejunum/duodenal aspirate biopsy
Characters of steattorea
- Fat not absorbed
- stool is less dense= will float
- Foul smelling
- Will leave oil mark
what is Whipples disease?
Systemic disease caused by tropherma whippelli.
Involved in malabsorption in the SI but can also be associated with the nervous system and joints
What is dermatitis herpatiformis?
Cutaneous blistering of the skin
Very itchy
Affects shoulders, knees, elbows, shoulder blades
Due to IgA deposits
