Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) in the Treatment of Protein-losing Enteropathy and Malabsorption Syndromes

Abstract

Patients with protein-losing enteropathy and other malabsorption syndromes were treated with a low fat diet supplemented with medium chain triglycerides (MCT). A total of 18 patients were studied.

In four out of five cases with protein-losing enteropathy a noticeable improvement of protein loss and steatorrhoea occurred. In the fifth patient, who had no steatorrhoea, improvement was slight.

In nine patients with steatorrhoea secondary to pancreatic insufficiency (three cases), Crohn’s disease (one), intestinal resection (one), intestinal resection + blind loop syndrome (one), postgastrectomy + enteropathy of undefined nature (one), sarcoidosis with mesenteric gland involvement (one), and generalized mastocytosis (one), clinical improvement followed the institution of MCT diet in every case, whereas steatorrhoea ceased in all except two with chronic pancreatitis.

In four patients with chronic intestinal disease without steatorrhoea the beneficial cffect of MCT varied. A low fat diet supplemented with MCT seems to represent an important advance in the medical management of a variety of malabsorption syndromes.

Index-words::

• Malabsorption syndromes
• protein-losing enteropathy
• diarrhea
• glycerides