Medical and Surgical Conditions for the Treatment of Malabsorption.

Abstract

Al-Taie: Patients suffering from malabsorption can present with a broad spectrum of often non-specific symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea or fatty stools. In addition, weight loss, fatigue, ataxia, tetany, skeletal pain, and amenorrhea can also be caused by malabsorption. In cases of mild malabsorption, no specific signs can be detected on examination. However, kachexia, hypoproteinamic edema, paleness, nail and hair dystrophy and ecchymosis, disturbances of deep sensibility, and osteoporotic fractures can indicate severe global or specific malabsorption. Basic laboratory tests to confirm malabsorption include different blood tests such as complete blood count, iron, ferritin, C-reactive protein, ALT, AST, albumin, creatinine, cholesterol, calcium and potassium, and international normalized ratio (INR). Depending on the suspected underlying disease, extended laboratory examinations comprise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin B12, folic acid, tissue transglutaminase antibodies, serum electrophoresis, gastrin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), fecal elastase, and fecal calprotectin.