A coprogram may indicate the development of rather dangerous pathologies and conditions. What does the presence of fatty acid salts in feces indicate? This means that fats are not fully absorbed by the body. And indicates the development of a certain pathology. This state of affairs, when feces, fatty acids are found in feces, is called steatorrhea. The disease has its causes, symptoms, varieties, methods of diagnosis and treatment. In the article we will get acquainted with them in detail.
Normal performance
What is the normal level of fatty acid salts in stool? A healthy body absorbs 90-98% of all fat entering the body as part of food. As for the norm, the feces should not contain triglycerides (neutral fat), fatty acids. Some residual inclusions of them can be found in feces in the form of soaps.
Salts of fatty acids in feces can be detected using a special laboratory test - lipograms. Here, the presence of both neutral fat and fatty acids and their soaps (salts) in feces is checked. Research is being conducted in the laboratory.
As for certain figures, in a healthy person the mass of fatty acid salts in feces does not exceed 5 g. In pathological conditions, the content can reach up to 100 g. This indicates the development of steatorrhea. Like many other diseases, it is represented by several varieties.
What are the sizes of the liver in adults? Normally, the total width is 23-27 cm. As for the length, it is 14-20 cm. The transverse size is 200-225 mm. The average weight of a human organ is 1.5 kg. But normally, the size of the liver in adults can also be with the fat content in the feces. Therefore, a doctor’s consultation is necessary. Since the cause of steatorrhea sometimes lies in a completely different problem.
Factors
What are the reasons? Salts of fatty acids in feces are a pathological condition. Specific factors are determined by further diagnosis. Among the most common options, the following can be distinguished:
- Impaired pancreas. In order to break down neutral fats in the intestines into fatty acids and glycerin, the pancreas produces a special water-soluble enzyme - pancreatic lipase. In case of disruption of the work of this body, accordingly, there is a deficiency of lipase in the body. Triglycerides are not completely broken down. Why in the feces of the patient may be present neutral fat.
- Bile acid deficiency. With insufficient intake of bile into the intestinal tract, there is a violation of the breakdown and absorption of fats. And these elements are subject to digestive enzymes only if they are in a state of thin emulsion. Bile mixes fat masses with water, which is necessary for their further digestion. If bile is not enough, then the fat droplets remain large, so aqueous solutions of enzymes can no longer mix with them. The consequence of this is the detection of fatty inclusions in the feces.
- Impaired absorption of fat in the intestinal tract and its accelerated excretion from the body. The food lump (hummus) moves along the intestinal tract due to the reduction of the intestinal walls. If its motor function is impaired, this leads to accelerated promotion and removal of food masses from the intestines. Accordingly, in this state of affairs, fats do not have time to be fully absorbed. This changes the appearance of feces - they become light, grayish, acquire a greasy shine, fetid odor, not characteristic of feces.
- Excessive fat in the diet. This can also lead to disruption of the small intestine. Especially when using refractory fat - for example, lamb fat.
- A large number of fatty components with impaired lymphatic patency.
- Reception of castor oil and other rectal suppositories.
What diseases provoke it?
The causes of steatorrhea can be a variety of diseases. The following can lead to a violation of fat metabolism in the body and, accordingly, the appearance of fatty acids in feces:
- Disease of the intestinal tract. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, enteritis, Whipple's disease, amyloidosis, diverticulosis, lymphoma (a type of tumor).
- Liver disease. Hepatitis (alcoholic, chronic or acute), cystic fibrosis, cirrhosis.
- Diseases of the gallbladder and its ducts. Cholangitis, cholelithiasis, acute and chronic cholecystitis, giardiasis.
- Diseases of the pancreas. Acute and chronic pancreatitis, Zolinger-Ellison syndrome (the formation of a tumor that causes loose stools, heartburn, pain, internal bleeding), narrowing of the Wirsung duct (through which the pancreatic juice enters the duodenum).
- A number of skin diseases. For example, with eczema, psoriasis, tissues of internal organs are also affected, which can cause a certain dysfunction of the latter.
- Cholestasis.
- Sclerosing cholangitis.
- Congenital defect of the organ / organs of the digestive tract.
- Pancreatic insufficiency.
- Alcoholic chronic pancreatitis.
- Dyskinesia of the gallbladder and bile ducts.
- Cardiospasm.
- Celiac disease.
- Hemochromatosis. An inherited disease in which iron accumulates in the body.
- Excessive colonization of bacterial microflora of the small intestine.
- Biliary dysfunction
- Wilson-Konoval disease. Hereditary pathology in which copper metabolism is impaired. It manifests itself already at an early age of the patient.
- Enterokinase deficiency.
- Pancreatogenic malabsorption syndrome.
- Condition after resection of the small intestine.
- Cysts, tumors of various origin, localized in the digestive tract.
- Taking laxatives, medicines, all kinds of products for weight loss.
Features in children
Steatorrhea in babies develops somewhat differently than in adults. To a greater extent, the reasons for this condition in a child are a lack of pancreatic enzymes and a general immaturity of the enzyme system.
Enzymes that take part in the lipid metabolism in a newborn begin to be produced in sufficient quantities only when the child reaches 3 months. Until this time, defective fat digestion will be observed. What is not considered pathological.
But at the same time, the salts of fatty acids in the feces in a baby-baby can be detected with defective functioning of the liver. This is in most cases due to genetic disorders. They can be both metabolic and structural in nature.
As for weakened babies, they have a normal metabolism (metabolism, including fat) is established a little later - by 4-5 months of life.
Classification of varieties of the disease
Salts of fatty acids in feces in an adult and a child are found in a specific condition - steatorrhea. It can be represented in several ways:
- Alimentary (or food). Abnormal stool conditions are caused by the patient’s nutritional status. In this case, his diet is oversaturated with fats. They physically cannot be completely absorbed by the body, therefore, the remains of the elements come out in pure form. Hence the dissemination of fat in feces. According to statistics, this kind of steatorrhea is most common.
- Intestinal. Fatty acid salts found in feces? The reason may be in this form of steatorrhea. It is caused by a malfunction of the small intestine. Fatty acids are detected due to the fact that they are poorly absorbed and absorbed. The reason for this is the ailments that we presented above. Or an unbalanced diet.
- Pancreatic This form of the disease is considered the most complex, since it is not the intestines that suffer here, but the pancreas. The cause of steatorrhea is that this organ cannot produce enough lipase in order to break down fatty acids. The consequence of the condition is a constant loose stool with inclusions of fat.
Stages of the disease
Salts of fatty acids in feces (single impregnations) are found in various forms of steatorrhea. The disease is divided into three types:
- At the first, feces contain neutral fats of either vegetable or animal origin.
- With type 2 steatorrhea, it is precisely the salts of fatty acids (soaps) that can interact with alkalis are found in feces.
- In the case of the third type of disease, neutral fats and salts of fatty acids are found in feces.
Symptoms
With steatorrhea, a person, accordingly, suffers from the symptoms of the disease that caused this condition. But steatorrhea itself is manifested by independent symptoms. In addition to loose stool with various inclusions of fat, this may be the following:
- Dry cough.
- General weakness, fatigue.
- Dizziness.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Bloating.
- Burping.
- Permanently dry condition of the mucous membranes - nose, mouth and so on.
- The rumbling sounds in the intestines.
- Constant thirst (due to dehydration due to illness).
- In some cases, pain in the upper abdomen.
- Frequent chair.
- Liquid sticky feces (due to the high content of salts of fatty acids, neutral fat).
- The feces are prominent interspersed with fat. The color of the discharge is grayish, light, with a characteristic luster.
Complications of the disease
Complications of steatorrhea arise in case of improper treatment or its complete absence. The following may develop:
- Violations of the vascular system, heart, urogenital, endocrine, nervous systems.
- Increased permeability of the intestinal barrier.
- Violation of protein metabolism, which leads to weight loss, ascites, a decrease in the amount of total protein in the body.
- Hypovitaminosis. It, in turn, is accompanied by frequent dizziness, pain in the joints and spine, swelling, convulsive conditions, dryness, pallor of mucous membranes, skin itching, decreased visual acuity, exfoliation of nails, brittle and dull hair, stomatitis, glossitis, friability of gum surfaces.
Diagnostics
If you find characteristic symptoms of steatorrhea, you need to contact a therapist, a gastroenterologist. First of all, the specialist will perform diagnostic procedures:
- Visual examination of the patient.
- Survey of the patient about the symptoms manifested, their duration, nutrition, lifestyle, hereditary factor.
- Submission for analysis of blood, feces and urine.
- Ultrasound examination of the peritoneal organs.
- Colonoscopy
- Research on radioisotope technology.
The most important diagnostic procedure for steatorrhea is a lipogram. A laboratory study in which feces are checked for fat, fatty acids and their salts (soaps). Such an analysis allows to identify the pathology of the digestive tract (in particular, the pancreas). According to the results of the study, the patient can be diagnosed with:
- Pancreatitis
- Tumors of the digestive tract - benign and malignant.
- Malabsorption syndrome.
- Intestinal tuberculosis.
- Violation of the secretory functions of the pancreas.
- Violation of the normal outflow of lymph.
- Enhanced intestinal motility.
The analysis results are also affected by the correct collection of material. It is forbidden to do this earlier than 2 days after an X-ray examination with a contrast agent. Three days before the collection of feces, they stop taking medications that affect the composition, color, motility of feces.
The chair should be natural, without enemas and laxatives. On the eve of the submission of the material for analysis, foods that stain the stool, which contribute to excessive gas formation, constipation or, conversely, diarrhea, are excluded from the diet.
Before collecting material, the bladder is emptied, genital hygiene is performed. To do this, use soap without dyes, flavors, foaming additives.
The material is collected in a dry and clean vessel, from where 20-25 g of feces is separated into a special container. Its contents can be stored in the refrigerator before being tested at a temperature of 3-7 ° C for a day.
Necessary diet
Treatment to the patient will be prescribed in accordance with the identified disease. If fat, fatty acids and their salts are found in feces, a special diet is also required:
- Exclusion from the diet of fatty, spicy, spicy, smoked and salty foods.
- Limitations of the intake of pure fat per day to 50 g. It is best if it is butter.
- The exception to the menu is alcoholic, sugary carbonated drinks.
- The transition to lean meat - turkey, rabbit and so on.
- An exception to the diet of fish is fatty varieties.
- Reduce carbohydrate-rich foods.
- Eating low-fat dairy products (or low fat).
- Exception from the diet of vegetable fats. Especially rich in legumes, a number of semi-finished products.
- It is recommended to give preference to low-fat varieties of fish, vegetable dishes, dairy products.
- Reception of vitamin complexes.
Partial meals with 3-hour breaks between meals are recommended. The weight of one serving should not exceed 200 g.
Drug treatment
The treatment regimen is compiled by the doctor individually for the patient - depending on the disease that caused steatorrhea. The symptom itself (fat in feces) is eliminated with the following medicines:
- Digestive Enzyme Enzymes "Pancreatin", "Creon", "Pancytrate".
- Absorbent preparations. Enterosgel, Smecta, Atoxil.
- With a high content of fatty acids in feces, anticidal agents are prescribed. They neutralize gastric juice, improve the effect on the body of enzyme drugs. This is Almagel, Gastal, Fosfalugel.
- Tablets "Maalox". The instructions for use of the tool say that it is a combined drug for discomfort, heartburn, stomach pain, acid belching, heaviness, diarrhea, constipation, bloating. It is available in the form of suspension and chewable tablets. The desired form is selected individually. The instructions for the use of tablets "Maalox" also said that the drug should be taken only after consulting a doctor.
Steatorrhea is the content in feces of fatty salts, their acids and / or neutral fat. As you have seen, there are many reasons for this. Specific is found out only when conducting a comprehensive diagnosis. According to its results, the doctor draws up a treatment plan for the patient.