Malabsorption is characterised by diarrhoea, steatorrhoea and weight loss. Causes may be broadly divided into intestinal (e.g. villous atrophy), pancreatic (deficiency of pancreatic enzyme production or secretion) and biliary (deficiency of bile-salts needed for emulsification of fats)

Intestinal causes of malabsorption

• coeliac disease
• Crohn's disease
• tropical sprue
• Whipple's disease
• Giardiasis
• brush border enzyme deficiencies (e.g. lactase insufficiency)

Pancreatic causes of malabsorption

• chronic pancreatitis
• cystic fibrosis
• pancreatic cancer

Biliary causes of malabsorption

• biliary obstruction
• primary biliary cirrhosis

Other causes

• bacterial overgrowth (e.g. systemic sclerosis, diverticulae, blind loop)
• short bowel syndrome
• lymphoma

Malabsorption Syndromes