Steatorrhea: a common manifestation in patients with HIV/AIDS.
Multiple infectious causes of diarrhea are known in patients with HIV/AIDS. Maldigestion and malabsorption have been reported in patients with HIV/AIDS and may be independent of infectious etiologies. Among ambulatory patients with HIV/AIDS, we examined the prevalence of fat malabsorption (steatorrhea). Sixty-one patients with unexplained diarrhea (defined as > 2 stools/d) and/or weight loss despite adequate caloric intake (and without clinical evidence of chronic pancreatitis) were evaluated in our outpatient Gastroenterology-Nutrition Clinic between March 1, 1993, and July 1994. Patients were instructed by a dietitian to follow a > or = 100 g/d fat diet for 24 h before submitting a stool sample for qualitative (or quantitative) fecal fat determination. Forty-five patients, 32 with ongoing diarrhea and 13 without diarrhea, submitted stool samples. Twenty-two of 45 patients (49%) had qualitative or quantitative steatorrhea, 16/32 with diarrhea (50%) and 6/13 patients without diarrhea (46%). Thirty of 32 patients with diarrhea had had extensive microbiologic and/or endoscopic evaluations. Only 9 patients had a detectable intestinal pathogen, 5 patients had cytomegalovirus (4 treated), 4 patients had cryptosporidia (3 treated), and 1 patient had microsporidia. Steatorrhea, as determined by abnormal qualitative fecal fat, is detectable in nearly 50% of patients with HIV/AIDS. Fat malabsorption appears to be a primary defect in these patients independent of detectable pathogens. Assessment of fat malabsorption should be considered in patients with unexplained weight loss or diarrhea before extensive evaluation for opportunistic infections.
Koch
J
J
Division of Gastroenterology, San Francisco General Hospital, CA 94110, USA.
Garcia-Shelton
Y L
YL
Neal
E A
EA
Chan
M F
MF
Weaver
K E
KE
Cello
J P
JP
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications; D002149:Energy Intake; D005223:Fats; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications; D015431:Weight Loss
D005223:Fats; D008055:Lipids