Intestinal enteropathies encompass a cycle of non-inflammatory bowel diseases.
Causes
The disruption of digestion and absorption of substances in the intestine occurs due to the absence of certain enzymes in the body or a decrease in their activity.
The basis of intestinal enteropathies includes:
- Enzymopathies: Congenital anomalies of the intestinal wall structure. A vivid example is gluten enteropathy. It is inherited. The patient's body is unable to digest food containing rye, wheat, and barley;
- Disaccharidase deficiency enteropathy. The mucous membrane of the small intestine is unable to produce disaccharidases to break down complex enzymes. People with this condition cannot consume sugar and milk;
- Exudative hypoproteinemic lymphangiectasia. It predominantly manifests in young individuals. The lymphatic vessels of such patients are characterized by dilation, and the intestinal wall has increased permeability. With each bowel movement, the patient loses a significant amount of protein. As a result, they develop severe hypoproteinemic edema;
Diagnosis of Intestinal Enteropathies in Israel
Patients with this condition most often complain of:
- Diarrhea after consuming certain foods (in the case of gluten enteropathy – grains, and in disaccharidase deficiency enteropathy – milk and sugar);
- Flatulence. It is also possible to have excessive passage of foul-smelling gas;
- Rapid weight loss due to lipid metabolism disorders;
- Growth and physical development delays in children with intestinal enteropathies;
- Hypoglycemia, sweating, palpitations due to carbohydrate metabolism disorders;
- Muscle atrophy, appearance of hypoproteinemic edema due to protein metabolism disorders;
- Osteoporosis due to calcium metabolism disorders;
- Disruption of endocrine gland functions in intestinal enteropathies;
- Anemia.
At Ichilov Clinic, the following methods are used to establish the etiology of intestinal enteropathies:
- General laboratory blood test;
- Tests with gliadin load;
- Study of glycemic curves after the patient consumes various disaccharides.
In addition to collecting medical history, detailed consultations are conducted with leading specialists in gastroenterology and dietetics at Ichilov Clinic.
Treatment of Intestinal Enteropathies in Israel
Treatment of intestinal enteropathies in Israel combines a comprehensive approach:
- Etiotropic therapy. It is prescribed to those patients whose disease etiology has been established. In this case, they must strictly adhere to the appropriate diet. Additionally, all patients should receive at least 130 grams of protein in their daily diet, along with calcium and iron supplements;
- Pathogenetic therapy is used in cases with unspecified etiology (for example, autoimmune enteropathy). Treatment aims to eliminate the inflammatory process;
- Symptomatic therapy is common for all types of intestinal enteropathies at Ichilov Clinic. To improve digestion, patients are prescribed pancreatic enzymes, probiotics, and intestinal antiseptics.