Intestinal causes

The cause for diarrhoea may be found in the large or small bowel.

• in small bowel pathology:
  • abdominal pain, when present, is periumbilical or right iliac fossa
  • the frequency of defecation is often reduced
  • the stool may be well formed but it is bulky, offensive, and may be pale in colour
  • there may be signs and symptoms of malabsorption
    
    
• in large bowel pathology:
  • there is often a defect in the reabsorption of water from the faeces
  • stools may be profuse and watery and/or mixed with blood and mucus
  • there may be lower abdominal pain with tenesmus and urgency