[Chronic radiation enteritis. I. Intestinal malabsorption. Anatomo-functional correlates]

Intestinal malabsorption was studied in 51 cases (46 patients) with radiological and/or operative evidence of small bowel radiation injury. At the time of the study, 23 patients had not been operated on (MED patients), and 28 had undergone previous small-intestinal by-pass or resection (BP/R patients). Fecal analysis data (n = 51), and results of alpha-1-antitrypsin clearance (n = 24), and of D-xylose (n = 37), folic acid (n = 20) and Schilling (n = 27) absorption tests were compared to the extent and severity of small-intestinal damage assessed radiologically and/or operatively. Mean fecal weight was 311 g/24 h in MED patients and 1,190 g/24 h in BP/R patients. Sixty-five, 43, 86, and 82 p. 100 of MED patients, and 93, 77, 93, and 85 p. 100 of BP/R patients, respectively presented increased fecal weight, sodium, lipid, and nitrogen. In MED patients, there was a significant relationship between the extent and severity of small-intestinal damage and fecal weight, lipid, and nitrogen. In BP/R patients, fecal data were related to those calculated from the site and the extent of the intestinal resection. Fecal losses tended to be more abundant when the residual intestine was severely damaged. Alpha-1-antitrypsin clearance (mean 37 ml/24 h) was increased in 8 out of 9 MED patients and in 11 out of 15 BP/R patients. Its value was not related to the extent and severity of small-intestinal damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)