| Tropical sprue | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Post‐infectious tropical malabsorption[1] |
| Video explanation | |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Symptoms | Liquid, frequent, and bad smelling stool, bloating, weight loss, inflammed tongue[2][1] |
| Complications | Vitamin deficiencies, low protein levels, electrolyte abnormalities[2][1] |
| Duration | Long-term[1] |
| Causes | Unknown[1] |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms, poor absorption of at least two types of nutrients, small bowel biopsy, and ruling out other potential causes[2] |
| Differential diagnosis | Irritable bowel syndrome, environmental enteropathy, active infections, HIV/AIDS, Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease[2][1] |
| Treatment | antibiotics, folic acid, and vitamin B12.[2] |
| Frequency | Unclear[2] |
Tropical sprue is a malabsorption disease found in tropical regions.[2] Symptoms include liquid, frequent, and bad smelling stool, bloating, weight loss, an inflammed tongue, and vitamin deficiencies.[2][1] Vitamin deficiencies may include vitamin A, resulting in trouble seeing at night, and vitamin B12, resulting in anemia.[1] Low protein levels and electrolyte abnormalities may also occur.[1]
The cause is unknown.[1] It occurs following about 10% of cases of gastroenteritis.[2] The underlying mechanism involves flattening of the villi and inflammation of the lining of the small intestine.[1] Diagnosis is based on symptoms, poor absorption of at least two types of nutrients, small bowel biopsy, ruling out other potential causes, and improvement with antibiotics and folic acid.[2] Other conditions that may cause similar symptoms include active infections, HIV/AIDS, Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and pancreatic disease.[1] Similar changes to the bowels without symptoms is known as environmental enteropathy.[1]
Treatment involves the use of antibiotics, such as tetracycline, together with folic acid and vitamin B12.[2][3] Historically tropical sprue appears to have been common in parts of Asia, Central America, and South America.[2][1] How frequently it currently occurs is developing regions of the world; however, is controversial.[2] While it previous occurred in outbreaks, this appears to be less common with improved access to antibiotics and clean water.[1] Early descriptions of the condition date from more than 2,000 years ago in the Indian text Charaka samhita.[1] The current name for the condition came into use in 1880.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Ramakrishna BS, Venkataraman S, Mukhopadhya A (2006). "Tropical malabsorption". Postgrad Med J. 82 (974): 779–87. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2006.048579. PMC 2653921. PMID 17148698.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Ghoshal UC, Srivastava D, Verma A, Ghoshal U (2014). "Tropical sprue in 2014: the new face of an old disease". Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 16 (6): 391. doi:10.1007/s11894-014-0391-3. PMC 7088824. PMID 24781741.
- ^ Korpe PS, Petri WA (2012). "Environmental enteropathy: critical implications of a poorly understood condition". Trends Mol Med. 18 (6): 328–36. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2012.04.007. PMC 3372657. PMID 22633998.