aetiology
Last reviewed 07/2021
The common causes of malabsorption in the UK are:
- coeliac disease
- lactose intolerance
- chronic pancreatitis
- small bowel resection
- small bowel bacterial overgrowth
- giardiasis
Tropical sprue is the most common cause worldwide.
Causes of malabsorption can be classified as:
- lipolytic phase defects
- micellar phase defects
- mucosal defects
- delivery phase defects
- isolated brush border enzyme / transport protein defects
- systemic disease