title: Etiological spectrum of sporadic malabsorption syndrome in northern Indian adults at a tertiary hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The etiology of malabsorption syndrome (MAS) may differ in different geographical regions. Limited data are available on the etiological spectrum of MAS among Indian adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine consecutive adult patients with MAS (urine d-xylose <1 g/5 g/5 h with or without increased fecal fat (> or =7 g/24 h) were evaluated for cause of MAS using standard criteria. Past medical records were examined to know the nature of treatment received.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The etiology of MAS was: tropical sprue 39, celiac disease 9, Crohn's disease 9, giardiasis 8, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in absence of another cause of MAS 8, panhypogammaglobulinemia 2 (one with strongyloidiasis), intestinal lymphangiectasia 1, intestinal tuberculosis 4, idiopathic 15, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome 2, and amyloidosis 2. Twenty-eight patients had received anti-tubercular treatment earlier.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tropical sprue, celiac disease and Crohn's disease are common causes of MAS in Indian adults. Inappropriate anti-tubercular treatment is common in them and needs to be discouraged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.
authors.forename: Piyush
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ranjan
authors.forename: Uday C
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Ghoshal
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Asha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Sita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.forename: Subhash R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Naik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D013182:Sprue, Tropical / Q000150:complications