Malassimilation
Under Malassimilation - from the Latin malus (bad, harmful, evil) and assimilare (align, make similar) - is impaired, which means reduced nutrient utilization in due unterschiedlichster disorders digestive tract called. This is a generic term for “maldigestion” and “malabsorption”.
Maldigestion
Maldigestion (Latin for "poor digestion") is a disruption of the ( enzymatic ) breakdown of food. The causes can be in the stomach ( gastric resection ), the pancreas , the liver or the biliary tract , as well as congenital enzyme defects such as lactose intolerance .
Malabsorption
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| K90 | Intestinal malabsorption |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
Malabsorption (Latin for "poor absorption") is a chronic pathological condition in which the absorption of previously split (predigested) food components through the intestinal wall into the lymphatic or bloodstream (enteral absorption ) is reduced.
The causes can include congenital diseases, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease , hypersensitivity diseases ( celiac disease ), infections (e.g. Whipple's disease ) or postoperative conditions (extensive removal of the small intestine).
Diseases that are associated with malabsorption are called malabsorption syndromes .
The main symptoms are:
- Mass chairs (> 300 g chair weight)
- bad smelling fatty stools ( steatorrhea ); flatulence
- Weight loss
- Undersupply of vitamins A , D , E , K , B12 , folic acid and minerals (e.g. calcium , iron ), protein and trace elements
- Muscle weakness
- Skin and mucous membrane changes
- Anemia ( anemia )
Various methods of bariatric surgery, surgery to combat morbid obesity , use malabsorption therapeutically to enable morbidly obese patients to sustainably reduce their excess weight. In these patients, malabsorption is achieved through various surgical procedures to manipulate the digestive tract. However, the impairment in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin B12 and especially divalent minerals caused by individual procedures leads to a lifelong obligation to take nutritional supplements. The adequate supply of nutrients must therefore be checked regularly by a doctor.
