Malabsorbed bile acids are the primary cause of cholerrheic
diarrhea. This type of diarrhea usually occurs when less than 100 cm (about
39 inches) of the terminal ileum remains. Bile acids are normally
absorbed in the terminal ileum, returned through blood circulation to
the liver, and used again by the liver to synthesize more bile acids.
When bile acids are poorly absorbed by a moderately shortened ileum, and
are passed into the colon and excreted in the feces, production of bile
in the liver can compensate for this loss of bile salts. However, when
the bile acids come into contact with the mucosa of the colon, electrolyte
and water absorption is impaired. The resulting diarrhea is termed cholerrheic
diarrhea or bile acid diarrhea.
This information
is provided as a general educational service
and is not intended to recommend any particular treatment plan
or to replace the advice of physicians. It is important that patients
seek and rely on the advice of a healthcare professional
about their individual medical conditions.
