Secretory Diarrhea
| Definition |
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- Secretory Diarrhea is a diarrhea caused by derangements in either small intestine secretion, large intestine secretion, or GI water and electrolyte absorption.
| Clinical Consequences |
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- Secretory diarrhea is usually characterized by a large volumes of watery diarrhea. There is usually little pain and notably the diarrhea continues even in the absence of food intake.
| Etiologies |
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- Excessive Intestinal Secretion
- Fecal Impaction: Chronic irritation of the large intestine mucosa by impacted feces generally leads to increased large intestinal secretion in a misguided attempt to dilute the irritant
- Microbes: A number of infectious agents cause secretory diarrhea by enhancing small intestinal secretion but they are considered as part of Infectious Diarrhea
- Reduced GI Water and Electrolyte Absorption
- Resection of ileum: Insufficient surface area for complete water and electrolyte absorption
- Hypersecretion of VIP: Either due to VIPoma or thyroid medullary carcinoma