Malabsorption (Maldigestia)

Malabsorption (Maldigestia)

    * Introduction
    * Causes
    * Signs and symptoms
    * Diagnosis
    * Treatment
Malabsorption syndrome refers to the inability to absorb certain nutrients in the small intestine. Certain infections, diseases and surgical procedures can lead to malabsorption. The most common are: celiac disease, lactose intileranta, parasitoses intestinal chronic pancreatitis and post-gastrectomy.
Cause diarrhea, malabsorption, weight loss, bloating and foul-smelling stools. Diagnosis is based on clinical investigation with stool samples and intestinal biopsy.
Normal food is digested and nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream predominantly small intestine. Malabsorption occurs when a condition occurs directly in the absorption of nutrients.
Digestion can be affected by conditions that prevent proper mixing of food with digestive enzymes and stomach acid. This mechanism is encountered in people who have had surgery to remove a portion of the stomach.
In other cases the body does not produce enough or certain enzymes needed to digest food. Decreased production of bile, or gastric hyperacidity populate intestinal pathogenic bacteria also interfere with digestion.
Nutrient absorption into the bloodstream can be modified by diseases of the intestinal mucosa. Normal mucosa consists of small projections called microvili Vili and creating a larger surface for absorption. Surgical removal of large portions of the small intestine substantially reduces the absorption area.
Bacterial infections, viral parasitoses, drugs, alcohol, Crohn's disease can affect the intestinal mucosa.
Treatment includes correction of nutritional deficits and cause disease when treatment is possible.
Pathogenesis
To understand the mechanisms malabsorbtiei is necessary to know the normal process of digestion and absorption from the intestinal tract. In general, digestion and absorption of food can be divided into three phases: luminal, mucosal and post-absorption. CAE luminal phase is the fats, proteins and carbohydrates are hydrolyzed and solubilized by digestive enzymes and bile secreted. Phase depends on the integrity of the mucosal brush edge in intestinal epithelial cells and their ability to digest the products being transported from cell lumen. Post-absorption phase is to transport lipids and other nutrients through the portal lymphatic intestinal epithelial cells to other parts of the body. Disruption at any stage of these processes result in malabsorption.