Oral Absorption Tolerance Tests in Tropical Sprue

Abstract

Introduction After the introduction of liver extract by Castle and co-workers,¹ adequate and striking clinical improvement has been observed in nearly all patients with tropical sprue in Puerto Rico. At the present time most patients receive folic acid therapy for control of anemia and gastrointestinal symptoms. The course and response to prolonged treatment has been described by Rodriguez-Molina.² His follow-up study of patients treated for 10 years emphasized that a complete remission of the process is not possible. Despite a satisfactory hematological remission, indiscretions in the daily diet with excess fatty, fried, starchy, or sweet foods would accentuate diarrhea. Only 25% of the patients had normal blood values. Past studies have indicated a megaloblastic macrocytic anemia, steatorrhea, impaired absorption of glucose, and abnormal x-ray patterns of the small bowel in untreated patients with tropical sprue.* The present study was initiated to evaluate the oral absorption of several foodstuffs