Diagnosis and management of diseases of the small intestine

Topics relating to the diagnosis and medical management of small intestinal diseases include the use of the steatocrit test to measure fecal fat content, the assessment of bile acid absorption with the selenium 75 homocholic acid-taurine test, the diagnosis of small bowel bacterial overgrowth by endoscopic aspiration and by hydrogen and carbon-14 breath tests, and the prevention of small intestinal injury induced by methotrexate and ionizing radiation. Further topics include management of jejunal varices treatment of enterocutaneous fistulas with somatostatin, prevention of postoperative ileus with cisapride, and treatment of autoimmune enteropathy with cyclosporin A. Also addressed are the potential of cholylsarcosine for bile acid replacement, the prevention of side effects induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and the management of desmoid and carcinoid tumors.