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Brown-bowel syndrome.

M Michowitz1, S Noy, D Chayen

  • 1Department of Surgery, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel.

The American Surgeon
|September 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Brown bowel syndrome (BBS) causes extensive small bowel discoloration due to vitamin E deficiency. This antioxidant vitamin E deficiency leads to pigment deposition, causing the characteristic brown appearance.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Extensive brownish discoloration of the small bowel is a rare condition, primarily linked to malabsorption disorders.
  • This discoloration is associated with a deficiency in fat-soluble vitamin E, a crucial antioxidant.
  • Vitamin E prevents the peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.

Observation:

  • Vitamin E deficiency can lead to oxidized lipids that polymerize with polysaccharides.
  • This process forms a brown, PAS-positive pigment known as ceroid or lipofuscin.
  • Deposition of these pigmented granules in tissues causes the characteristic brownish discoloration of the small bowel.

Findings:

  • Three patients presented with "brown bowel syndrome (BBS)" with varied symptoms and diagnoses.

Related Experiment Videos

  • All three patients exhibited extremely low serum vitamin E levels.
  • The underlying cause identified in all cases was severe vitamin E deficiency.

    • Implications:

    • Highlights the importance of considering vitamin E deficiency in unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms.
    • Suggests that brown bowel syndrome may be an underdiagnosed manifestation of vitamin E deficiency.
    • Emphasizes the need for monitoring vitamin E levels in patients with malabsorption or related conditions.