Steatorrhea – colloquially called fatty stools – (synonyms: butter stools, pancreatic stools, ointment stools; ICD-10 K90) refers to a pathological (abnormal) increase in the amount of fat (> 7 g fat/day) in the stool (especially neutral fat).
The cause of this disorder is usually a deficiency of the enzyme lipase in the small intestine. The cause of lipase deficiency may be a defect in synthesis (production) or secretion (excretion) in the pancreas (pancreas) or bile duct.
Numerous diseases, such as chronic pancreatitis (chronic inflammation of the pancreas) or cystic fibrosis (genetic disease characterized by the production of mucus in various organs that is too tame) are associated with steatorrhea.
* Note: Steatorrhea is not apparent until approximately 90% of the exocrine pancreatic tissue (tissue responsible for the production of digestive enzymes) is destroyed.
Course and prognosis: Prognosis depends on the underlying disease.
