Blind Loop Syndrome

Excerpt

Blind loop syndrome (BLS), otherwise known as stagnant loop syndrome, is a rare malabsorptive disorder with growing clinical significance in the field of gastroenterology. This disease can evolve as a complication from multiple pathologies, including anatomic abnormalities, motility disorders, and inflammatory disease. This condition is further defined by its distinctive pathogenesis: stagnation of the small intestine causing pathologic bacterial overgrowth.

Under normal circumstances, the small bowel harbors a sparse amount of mixed flora in concentrations of less than 1,000 microorganisms/mL. However, static conditions can alter the population dynamic. In blind loop syndrome, stasis enables the proliferation of species like Bacteroides, E. coli, Streptococcus, and Lactobacillus in abnormally high concentrations. Consequently, this overgrowth affects digestion and absorption, resulting in malnutrition, B12 deficiency, and steatorrhea.