Adult intestinal insufficiency and failure may be caused by a wide range of conditions. This includes a quantitative decrease in the length of bowel available.
Major categories:
(1) congenital
(2) acquired, usually following surgical resection
(3) functional (fistula)
Congenital causes of a short bowel include:
(1) gastroschisis
(2) intestinal atresia
(3) intestinal malformation
(4) omphalocele
Surgical causes of acquired short bowel:
(1) mesenteric infarction
(2) Crohn's disease
(3) radiation enteritis
(4) intestinal volvulus
(5) familial polyposis
(6) abdominal trauma
(7) intestinal angiodysplasia
(8) necrotizing enterocolitis
(9) complicated intussusception
(10) surgical complications
A fistula can bypass an extensive portion of small bowel, effectively reducing the mucosal surface for absorption. An external fistula can also result in significant loss of small bowel contents.
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