Intestinal Macrocytic Anaemia

The role of altered bile acid metabolism in the steatorrhea of experimental blind loop.

“…Although it is well documented that blind loop of the small intestine, either spontaneously occurring (2) or experimentally produced (3)(4)(5), is associated with steatorrhea, the mechanism for this abnormality has not been demonstrated. A pathogenic role of bacteria is strongly suggested in this and closely associated conditions by the observations that bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel occurs (6,7) and that the steatorrhea usually responds to antibacterial therapy (2,4,5).…”

Benign Duodeno-colonic Fistula

“…These intestinal cul-de-sacs were antiperistaltic and therefore self-filling to encourage stasis. In later work Watson and Witts (1952) showed that the anaemia so produced responded well to folic acid or chlortetracycine but poorly or not at all to vitamin B.12. In our patient (Case 1) evidence of bacterial interference with small intestinal function was obtained by giving aureomycin by mouth when faecal fat loss was reduced to almost half.…”