Functional Diarrhea
Chronic diarrhea is a frequent and challenging problem in clinical medicine. In a considerable subgroup of these, no underlying cause is identified and this is referred to as functional diarrhea….
GASTROENTEROLOGY
Diarrhea Caused By Circulating Agents
Circulating agents cause intestinal secretion or changes in motility with decreased intestinal transit time, resulting in secretory-type diarrhea. Secretory diarrhea as opposed to osmotic diarrhea is characterized by large-volume, watery…
Bacterial Flora as a Cause or Treatment of Chronic Diarrhea
Intestinal microflora can be considered an organ of the body. It has several functions in the human gut, mostly metabolic and immunologic, and constantly interacts with the intestinal mucosa in…
Colorectal Normal Histology and Histopathologic Findings in Patients with Chronic Diarrhea
Collagenous and lymphocytic colitis are common causes of chronic watery diarrhea that are characterized by distinct histopathologic abnormalities without endoscopically visible lesions and are summarized as microscopic colitis. Several variants…
The Practical Value of Comprehensive Stool Analysis in Detecting the Cause of Idiopathic Chronic Diarrhea
The practical diagnostic value of fecal analysis in the evaluation of patients with chronic nonbloody diarrhea is controversial. It is possible that variations in its value depend on how it…
Chronic Diarrheal Disorders
Heinz F. Hammer, MD Guest Editor Chronic diarrhea is defined as more than 3 bowel movements, or loose stools, for at least 4 weeks. Population-based studies from the Mayo Clinic…
A Commentary on the Safety of Probiotics
Probiotics have a long record of safety, which relates primarily to lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Experience with other forms of probiotics is more limited. There is no such thing as zero…
Nucleic Acid-based Methods to Assess the Composition and Function of the Bowel Microbiota
This article describes nucleic acid-based methods to assess the composition and function of the bowel microbiota. The methods range from the relatively simple (polymerase chain reaction) to the technically sophisticated…
Probiotics, Prebiotics, Energy Balance, and Obesity
Obesity-related disorders derive from a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Recent evidence supports the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and…
Probiotic Bacteria in the Prevention and the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Definitive curative strategies for inflammatory bowel disease remain challenging for physicians and patients. For decades, probiotic organisms have been used in various gastrointestinal diseases. Only recently has comprehension of the…
