Malabsorption Spectrums in India.

Among the causes of malabsorption, tropical sprue is one of the leading cause.Several reports indicating that celiac disease, now being recognised more frequently.
Material: 94 patients, aged more than 12 years, presenting with Chronic diarrhoea and malabsorption syndrome were analyzed by clinical presentation, endoscopic and histopathological examination.The spectrum of disease in these patients and features differentiating celiac disease and tropical sprue are reported here.
Observation: Most common cause was Celiac Disease (65%), followed by Tropical Sprue (21%), common variable immunodeficiency (2%), lymphangiectasia (1%), idiopathic (3%). Patients with celiac disease were younger,having anemia, scalloping of folds,moderate or severe villous atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, diffuse epithelial damage. Patients with tropical sprue were older and more often normal duodenal epithelium.
Conclusion: Malabsorption, a disease which is often missed and not recognised by clinicians. A meticulous search for diagnosis is required.
(© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)