Vitamin B₁₂ Absorption in Patients with Continent Ileostomy

Abstract

Jagenburg, R., Kock, N. G. & Philipson, B. Vitamin B₁₂ absorption in patients with continent ileostomy. Scand. J. Gastroent. 1975, 10, 141-144.

Vitamin B₁₂ absorption was studied in 34 patients, 10 months to 6 years after construction of a continent ileostomy. Normal Schilling test values (> 10%) were obtained in 21 of the cases after a single determination. Repeated tests showed a normal B₁₂ absorption in 8 of the 13 patients who had revealed a Schilling test value below 10% at the first determination. In the remaining 5 patients, repeated Schilling tests showed borderline values (5-10%) in 4 cases and a low value (mean 4.5%) in one case. One of the patients with borderline values had previously undergone resection of 80 cm of the terminal ileum. When vitamin Bu-intrinsic factor complex was instilled directly into the reservoir in 3 patients, it was found that the vitamin was absorbed by the mucous membrane of the reservoir. The construction of a continent ileostomy reservoir thus does not appear to expose the patient to an increased risk of developing vitamin B₁₂ malabsorption.

Key-words::

• Ileostomy
• ileum
• intestinal absorption
• intestinal mucosa
• Schilling test
• small intestine
• vitamin B₁₂