Bile acid malabsorption
| Bile acid diarrhea / Bile acid malabsorption | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Bile acid-induced diarrhea, cholerheic or choleretic enteropathy, bile salt diarrhea, bile salt malabsorption |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Symptoms | Bowel movement frequency, soft or watery stools, diarrhea, urgency |
| Complications | Anxiety, fecal incontinence |
| Usual onset | Any age |
| Duration | Chronic (longlasting, persistent) |
| Types | Primary or secondary or types 1, 2 and 3 |
| Causes | Surgical resection of ileum, cholecystectomy, idiopathic |
| Risk factors | Pelvic radiation disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth |
| Diagnostic method | Fecal bile acids, SeHCAT, 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one |
| Differential diagnosis | Irritable bowel syndrome, microscopic colitis |
| Medication | Bile acid sequestrants |
| Prognosis | Good with treatment |
| Frequency | 1 in 100 of population |
| Deaths | Non-fatal |
Bile acid malabsorption (BAM), known also as bile acid diarrhea, is a cause of several gut-related problems, the main one being chronic diarrhea. It has also been called bile acid-induced diarrhea, cholerheic or choleretic enteropathy, bile salt diarrhea or bile salt malabsorption. It can result from malabsorption secondary to gastrointestinal disease, or be a primary disorder, associated with excessive bile acid production. Treatment with bile acid sequestrants is often effective. Depending on the severity of symptoms, it may be recognised as a disability in the United Kingdom under the Equality Act 2010.