title: Use of the SeHCAT test in the investigation of diarrhoea.
abstract: The SeHCAT test was used to investigate possible bile acid malabsorption in 166 patients presenting to a district general hospital with chronic diarrhoea of uncertain cause. Eighty-four (51%) patients had impaired SeHCAT retention. These included 23 of 28 patients with a possible type I abnormality (terminal ileal resection or disease, previous pelvic radiotherapy), 20 of 74 with a possible type II abnormality (idiopathic diarrhoea), 32 of 45 with a possible type III abnormality (post-cholecystectomy, post-vagotomy), and 9 of 19 with diarrhoea associated with diabetes. Patients with severe bile acid malabsorption demonstrated a good response to cholestyramine whereas the response in patients with a mildly abnormal SeHCAT retention was variable. Bile acid malabsorption is an important cause of diarrhoea in patients presenting with unexplained chronic diarrhoea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Preece
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism*; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013656:Taurocholic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014628:Vagotomy
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; C033638:23-seleno-25-homotaurocholic acid