Drug-Related Enteropathy

Abstract

Over 700 drugs have been implicated as cause of chronic diarrhea and potential enteral damage. Pathophysiologic mechanisms include intrinsic malabsorption as their main mode of action (i.e., acarbose or orlistat), increased risk of microscopic colitis/enteritis (proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)), dysbiosis (antibiotics, metformin, PPI), and microscopic or overt enteropathy (angiotensin inhibitors, antineoplastic agents, targeted therapy and check-point inhibitors). According to type, diarrhea can be malabsorptive, inflammatory or mixed, and may affect different portions of small intestine, colon, or both. Drug-induced enteropathy ranges from asymptomatic histological changes to macroscopic damage similar to that seen in inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment may include discontinuation of drug, correction of dysbiosis, and in severe cases, directed therapy towards intestinal wall inflammatory states, in similar mode as in other inflammatory bowel diseases.