Chitresh Kumar Banpuria1, Dhannuram Mandavi2
BACKGROUND Lactose malabsorption is a serious issue and since malnutrition is common in our community, it was deemed worthwhile to conduct a study of lactose malabsorption in malnutrition. The problem of malnutrition in India has grown to the extent that it compels the personnel concerned with human health to pause and think for its remedy. We wanted to study the radiological changes of malabsorption syndrome in lactose malabsorbers. METHODS The study was conducted at outpatient department of Paedicatrics in Late Baliram Kashyap Memorial Government Medical College, Jagadalpur, Chhattisgarh. These cases were selected from children visiting the out patient’s department, Pt. J.N.M. Medical College and Associated D.K. Hospital, Raipur, M.P. Total number of children in the present study was 67 who had no history of diarrhoea in past 15 days and in whom there was no history of worm infection. Data was collected in questionnaire. Barium-meal examination of small intestine is done. The study was conducted for a period of six months. Permission from Institutional Ethics Committee was obtained. Initially informed individual consent was taken from all the patients included in the study. RESULTS Radiological changes of malabsorption syndrome were seen in 37 cases out of 45 of lactose malabsorbers. Out of which, 26 cases (57.8 per cent) were having mild to moderate changes and 11 cases (22.44 per cent) showed severe changes. Barium meal was normal in 4 cases (8.88 per cent) of lactose malabsorbers. In the follow up group, out of 32 lactose malabsorbers, 27 cases (84.37 per cent) showed mild to moderate radiological evidence of malabsorption syndrome, and 4 cases (12.9 per cent) showed severe changes, total being 31 out of 32 (97.27 per cent). CONCLUSIONS In this study, varying grades of malnutrition between six months to 3 years of age were included for the evidence of lactose malabsorption by detecting stool pH and by doing a barium meal radiograph for evidence of malabsorption syndrome. In majority of cases, combined radiological changes of malabsorption syndrome were seen. There is no correlation of radiological evidence of malabsorption syndrome between lactose malabsorbers and absorbers.
