Malabsorption causes

Malabsorption
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Overview
Classification Infection Structural defect Digestive failure Systemic disease Iatrogenic
Differentiating Malabsorption from other Diseases

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Causes

Due to Infective Agents

• Whipple's disease
• Intestinal tuberculosis
• HIV related malabsorption
• Tropical sprue
• Traveller's diarrhoea
• Parasites e.g. Giardia lamblia, fish tape worm (B12 malabsorption), round warm, hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus).

Due to Structural Defects

• Blind loops
• Inflammatory bowel diseases commonly in Crohn's disease
• Intestinal hurry from post-gastrectomy, post-vagotomy and gastro-jejunostomy
• Fistulae, diverticulae and strictures
• Infiltrative conditions such as amyloidosis, lymphoma and eosinophilic gastroenteropathy
• Radiation enteritis
• Systemic sclerosis and collagen vascular diseases

Due to Mucosal Abnormality

• Celiac disease
• Cows' milk intolerance
• Soya milk intolerance

Due to Enzyme Defeciencies

• Lactase deficiency inducing lactose intolerance (constitutional, secondary or rarely congenital)
• Sucrose intolerance
• Intestinal disaccharidase defeciency
• Intestinal enteropeptidase defeciency

Due to Digestive Failure

• Pancreatic insufficiencies:
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Carcinoma of pancreas
  • Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
• Bile salt malabsorption
  • Terminal ileal disease
  • Obstructive jaundice
  • Bacterial overgrowth

Due to Other Systemic Diseases Affecting GI Tract

• Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism
• Addison's disease
• Diabetes mellitus
• Hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism
• Carcinoid syndrome
• Malnutrition
• Abeta-lipoproteinemia