Related to this topic: Leaflets | Support | Patient+ | UK Guidelines | News | Weblinks | Equipment | Books | Your Experience | Other resources | Glossaries
Print options:
Other options:
(what's this?)
PatientPlus articles are written for doctors and so the language can be technical. However, some people find that they add depth to the articles found in the other sections of this website which are written for non-medical people.
Blind Loop Syndrome
Synonyms: Stasis syndrome, Stagnant loop syndrome
In blind loop syndrome a portion of the small intestine becomes bypassed and thus cut off from the normal flow of food. The digestion of food becomes slow or stops leading to the growth of bacteria and malabsorption.
Obstruction to the normal passage of food through the affected segment leads to ineffective bile salt digestion of fats and fat soluble vitamins. The stagnant food ferments with associated bacterial overgrowth.
- Fat malabsorption e.g. steatorrhoea, blindness (from vitamin A deficiency), osteoporosis (from vitamin D deficiency)1
- Inflammation of the small intestine wall leads to malabsorption of protein and carbohydrates
- Vitamin B12 deficiency resulting in a macrocytic anaemia
- Iron deficiency
- Osteoporosis from calcium and vitamin D deficiency
- Surgery e.g. Billroth II, Roux-en-Y procedure, gastric bypass for obesity2
- Inflammatory bowel disease e.g. Crohn's disease
- Scleroderma
- Intestinal duplication
- Diverticulosis of the small intestine
- Diabetes mellitus
- Radiation enteritis
- Loss of appetite and early satiety
- Diarrhoea and steatorrhoea
- Weight loss
- Nausea
- Abdominal examination may reveal cachexia, abdominal distension and evidence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
- Bloods may reveal
- Macrocytic anaemia (due to Vit B12 deficiency)
- Hypocalcaemia
- Iron deficiency
- Raised INR (due to vitamin K deficiency)
- Abdominal imaging including
- Abdominal x ray
- Abdominal CT scan
- Barium studies
- Hydrogen breath test to detect bacterial overgrowth
- Specialised investigations looking at small intestine function
- Xylose breath test
- Faecal fat test
- Bile acid breath test
- Small intestine aspirate with fluid culture - invasive and difficult
Specialised investigations and small intestine aspirates are rarely performed.
- The underlying cause should be corrected if possible e.g. surgical correction
- In many cases surgery is not an option and therapy has two aims
- Tackle bacterial overgrowth - Antibiotics are used and may be required for long periods of time. Commonest antibiotics used are the tetracyclines e.g. oxytetracycline but it is estimated that upto 70% will fail to respond to this. There have been some promising results with rifamixin which is a non-absorbable antibiotic but this is not more superior to metronidazole - which should be used as an alternative if there is lack of success with the tetracyclines.3 Development of resistance is a problem and antibiotics may need to be changed frequently. Probiotics help in animal studies but their role in humans with bacterial overgrowth is yet to be established.4
- Nutritional supplements - This can involve any of the following
- Vit B12 injections
- Oral vitamin supplements
- Oral iron supplements
- Oral calcium and vit D supplements
- Medium chain triglycerides (are more readily digested)5
Untreated the following can occur
- Intestinal infarction
- Complete intestinal obstruction
- Perforation
Document References
- Kumar, P; Clarke, M. Clinical Medicine, 6th Ed, (2005), WB Saunders: London.
- Bacterial overgrowth syndrome; E-medicine; Oct 2006.
- Di Stefano M, Miceli E, Missanelli A, et al; Absorbable vs. non-absorbable antibiotics in the treatment of small intestine bacterial overgrowth in patients with blind-loop syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2005 Apr 15;21(8):985-92. [abstract]
- Quigley EM, Quera R; Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: roles of antibiotics, prebiotics, and probiotics. Gastroenterology. 2006 Feb;130(2 Suppl 1):S78-90. [abstract]
- Blind loop syndrome; CNN.com health/library; Jan 2006.
DocID: 6990
Document Version: 1
DocRef: bgp26064
Last Updated: 18 May 2007
Review Date: 17 May 2009
Disclaimer: Patient UK has no control of the content of the above links. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by Patient UK.
Related pages in Patient UK
Your Experience (^ top of page)
Please add your experience about this condition / medicineInformation leaflets related to this topic (^ top of page)
Crohn's DiseasePatient Support related to this topic (^ top of page)
Crohn's in Childhood Research Association - CICRA
National Association for Colitis and Crohn's DiseaseMedical reference articles in PatientPlus related to this topic (^ top of page)
Aminosalicylates
Crohn's Disease
Gastrointestinal Malabsorption
Oral Ulceration
Rectal Bleeding
Seronegative ArthropathiesUK guidelines related to this topic (^ top of page)
Guidelines on Crohn's DiseaseRecent news items related to this topic (^ top of page)
Genes for Crohn's identifiedLinks to other selected websites related to this topic (^ top of page)
Crohn's DiseaseOther - Useful resources (^ top of page)
Pictures, diagrams, photos, images, etc.Evidence based medicine
Online textbooks and journals
A-Z of UK Guidelines
A-Z of Online Videos
Medline
Other good health sites
Medical equipment products related to this topic (^ top of page)

Books related to this topic (^ top of page)
Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis: The First Year
Crohn's Disease (Living with)
Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (The Daily Telegraph)
Living with Crohn's Disease
Want to search some more? Use the Google Search box below to search our site.

Would you like to try our advanced on-line knowledge support system designed to provide professionals with relevant up to date information about recognition and management of disease or take the Mentor Challenge?
Disclaimer: Patient UK has no control of the content of the above links. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by Patient UK.
