Tropical sprue laboratory findings
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Laboratory Findings
Tropical Sprue can be diagnosed using the following tests and exams:
Stool Examination
- The stools are usually increased in volume and are either watery, or semiformed.
- The finding of fat globules in stool is very suggestive of the presence of steatorrhea.
- It is also helpful to exclude some of the parasites causing chronic diarrhea such as Giardia Lamblia, Entamoeba Histolytic.
Sigmoidoscopy
- Performed in all patients with chronic diarrhea to exclude lesions other than sprue such as amebiasis.
- In sprue, there is hyperemia of the colonic mucosa without ulcerations.
Gastric biopsy
- Shows achlorhydria and changes ranging from superficial gastritis through chronic gastritis to complete gastric atrophy.
Absorption studies
- Steatorrhea may be essential for the diagnosis of TS.
- Bone density test
- CHEM 20
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Comprehensive metabolic panel
- Enteroscopy
- Folate level (serum)
- Iron level (serum)
- Stool examination for bacteria and parasites
- Upper endoscopy
- Upper GI series
- Vitamin B12 level (serum)
- Vitamin D level