Tropical sprue classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aravind Kuchkuntla, M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Tropical sprue is classified based on the duration of symptoms into acute phase and a chronic phase.^[1]

Classification

Tropical sprue can be classified based on the duration of symptoms into the following:^[2]

Acute phase:
- Tropical sprue in acute phase is seen in visitors to tropical regions present with insidious onset, acute diarrhea with abdominal pain, nausea, and flatulence.
- Systemic symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and weakness may be present.

Chronic phase:
- Tropical sprue in chronic phase is usually seen in resident population in the endemic regions.
- They present with diarrhea and symptoms of vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies which include stomatitis, glossitis, and anemia. This may take 2 to 4 years to develop.

References

↑ Brown IS, Bettington A, Bettington M, Rosty C (2014). “Tropical sprue: revisiting an underrecognized disease”. Am J Surg Pathol. 38 (5): 666–72. doi:10.1097/PAS.0000000000000153. PMID 24441659.
↑ Greenson, Joel K (2015). “The biopsy pathology of non-coeliac enteropathy”. Histopathology. 66 (1): 29–36. doi:10.1111/his.12522. ISSN 0309-0167.

Overview