Steatorrhea (or steatorrhoea) is the presence of excess fat in feces. Stools may be bulky and difficult to flush, have a pale and oily appearance, and can be especially foul-smelling. An oily anal leakage or some level of fecal incontinence may occur. There is increased fat excretion, which can be measured by determining the fecal fat level. can be caused by chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis and pancreatic cancer (if it obstructs biliary outflow).
- Other causes: Drugs that can produce steatorrhea include orlistat, a slimming pill, or as adverse effect of octreotide or lanreotide, used to treat acromegaly or other neuroendocrine tumors. It can be found in Graves' disease / hyperthyroidism. Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) tablets can cause steatorrhea in some people. and that lipids from whole nuts are significantly less well absorbed.
Natural fats
Consuming jojoba oil has been documented to cause steatorrhea and anal leakage because it is indigestible.
Consuming escolar and oilfish (sometimes mislabelled as butterfish) will often cause steatorrhea, also referred to as gempylotoxism or gempylid fish poisoning or keriorrhea.
Artificial fats
The fat substitute Olestra, used to reduce digestible fat in some foods, was reported to cause anal leakage in some consumers during the test-marketing phase. As a result, the product was reformulated before general release to a hydrogenated form that is not liquid at physiologic temperature. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning indicated excessive consumption of Olestra could result in "loose stools"; however, this warning has not been required since 2003.
Diagnosis
Steatorrhea should be suspected when the stools are bulky, floating and foul-smelling. Other tests include the (13)C-mixed triglycerides test and fecal elastase, to detect possible fat maldigestion due to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency,
Treatment
Treatments are mainly correction of the underlying cause, as well as digestive enzyme supplements.
See also
- Rectal discharge
- Keriorrhea
- Fecal leakage
- Steatocrit