Synonyms
Steatorrhoea
Definition
In medical jargon, fatty stool is called steatorrhea. Fatty stool is caused by an abnormally high fat content in the stool due to a fat digestion disorder. Fatty stool is voluminous, light shiny, foamy and malodorous.
There are several possible causes of the fat digestion disorder. The therapy depends strongly on the disease causing it. Fatty stool is a symptom that can occur in various diseases, it is not an independent disease.
Causes
Fatty stools occur when the fats ingested with food are not sufficiently metabolized and absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead, they end up in the stool. A relatively typical cause for the occurrence of fatty stool is a reduced function of the pancreas.
This is known as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. The exocrine part of the pancreas normally produces digestive enzymes such as lipase, which breaks down fats and thus makes them digestible. In diseases such as chronic pancreatitis, sooner or later the pancreas cannot produce enough digestive enzymes, resulting in pancreatic insufficiency.
The deficiency of the enzyme lipase results in the fats absorbed into the intestine not being split sufficiently, so that they cannot be absorbed into the bloodstream. Instead, the fats remain in the intestine and eventually end up in the stool. Cancer of the pancreas, i.e. pancreatic carcinoma, can also lead to fatty stools in advanced stages.
Another possible cause of fatty stools is a lack of bile acids. This is due to the fact that bile acids play an important role in the absorption of the split fat components into the bloodstream. A lack of bile acids occurs, for example, when the bile duct is blocked by a stone or a tumor.
A deficiency of bile acids can also occur in Crohn’s disease. This is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. If the inflammation mainly affects the ileum, a part of the large intestine, a deficiency of bile acids and thus fatty stools can occur.
Another cause for the development of fatty stools is celiac disease. This is a gluten intolerance that must be treated by means of a strict diet. The chronic inflammation in the intestine leads to a shrinking of the surface of the mucous membrane, which plays an essential role in the digestion of various food components.
Among other things, fats are affected by the digestive disorder, they get into the stool and fatty stools are formed. Fatty stools can also occur during partial bowel removal (bowel resections), for example after intestinal cancer. Stress is usually not a trigger for the development of fatty stools.
For fatty stools to develop, the digestion of fat must be disturbed. However, stress has no significant influence on fat digestion. Alcohol is not a direct trigger for the development of fatty stools.
However, chronic excessive alcohol consumption can lead to chronic inflammation of the pancreas. This, in turn, can lead to a reduced function of the pancreas for years with a lack of production of digestive enzymes. This can cause fatty stools.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a disease that is associated with complaints in the abdominal cavity. It belongs to the psychosomatic diseases. In patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, no cause for the described complaints can be found. The occurrence of fatty stools is not a symptom that occurs in the context of an irritable bowel syndrome. Common symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, however, are flatulence, a bloated abdomen, a feeling of fullness, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
