Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Aug;25(8):996-1000. doi: 10.1097/MEG.0b013e328361ce81.
Tropical sprue (TS) is a chronic diarrheal disease of unknown etiology characterized by malabsorption and small bowel mucosal abnormalities. TS affects residents of, and visitors to, endemic tropical regions. Rarely the disease may remain latent for several years, and to date, few cases of latent TS have been reported in Europe or North America. However, in our increasingly multicultural communities and in a 'global village' where travel is common, clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for TS in patients presenting with diarrhea and malabsorption who have traveled to endemic regions. TS may mimic common diarrheal diseases that are seen in developed nations, including celiac disease, Crohn's disease, bacterial overgrowth, and other infectious etiologies. Accordingly, once these more common etiologies have been ruled out, TS must be considered in patients presenting with diarrhea after travel to endemic regions. We present a unique Canadian case of latent TS, with a brief review of the diagnostic approach and treatment.
热带口炎性腹泻（TS）是一种病因不明的慢性腹泻病，其特征为吸收不良和小肠黏膜异常。TS 影响流行热带地区的居民和游客。这种疾病很少潜伏数年，迄今为止，在欧洲或北美报告的潜伏性 TS 病例很少。然而，在我们日益多元文化的社区和旅行频繁的“地球村”中，临床医生必须对前往流行地区的出现腹泻和吸收不良的患者保持高度怀疑 TS 的意识。TS 可能模仿在发达国家中常见的腹泻性疾病，包括乳糜泻、克罗恩病、细菌过度生长和其他感染性病因。因此，一旦排除了这些更常见的病因，对于前往流行地区旅行后出现腹泻的患者，就必须考虑 TS。我们提出了一个独特的加拿大潜伏性 TS 病例，并简要回顾了诊断方法和治疗。
