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Steatorrhoea which may occasionally present in middle or old age, is a treatable cause of diarrhoea. The possible causes based on a pathophysiological classification are innumerable.' We therefore thought it pertinent to analyse our experience of patients who presented over the age of 50 to find out the most likely cause in practice and assess the most useful diagnostic clinical and laboratory features.

Eighty-five outpatients with Crohn's disease who knew their diagnosis and that the disease was subject to relapse were interviewed. The personalities of the women as measured by the Eysenck personality questionnaire were similar to those of a control group, but the men were more neurotic and introverted. Most patients continued to live optimistic, useful lives; they felt well, continued to work, hoped that their disease would not deteriorate in the future, and often had an improved relationship with their spouse despite less frequent sexual intercourse. We found that the successful adaptation of patients to this chronic disease was more closely related to their personality than to the activity or extent of the disease.