Chronic diarrhea in childhood: a new look at an old problem.

Diarrhea can be defined as excess loss of water and electrolytes in 
feces, but what is an excess? To the physician, fecal losses 
may be excessive when they cause the patient to be ill; 
to a parent a stool pattern that differs from that of 
a neighbor's infant or even a single watery stool may be 
too much. New knowledge of normal gut function and the pathologic 
processes that may afflict the child's alimentary tract has improved one 
capability to diagnose and manage certain specific diseases that cause diarrhea. 
Although of great interest to academicians, many of these diseases are 
extraordinarily rare and in most practices there is a substantial and 
perplexing pool of poopers in whom no specific disease can be 
found. Fortunately, patients in this latter group are rarely seriously ill. 
This article attempts to help the practitioner understand, diagnose and treat 
children with specific diseases known to cause chronic diarrhea. We will 
speculate also on the mechanisms and management of idiopathic chronic diarrhea. 
