TABLE 2.

Categorization of chronic diarrhea

Osmotic diarrhea

Lactose intolerance, poorly absorbed foods, osmotic laxatives (lactulose, etc.), and so forth.

Secretory diarrhea

Microscopic colitis, bile acid diarrhea, post‐cholecystectomy, administration of bile acids, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, VIPoma, gastrinoma, somatostatinoma, adrenal insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome, functional diarrhea, and so forth.

Inflammatory diarrhea

amebic colitis, cytomegalovirus infection, giardia lamblia, tuberculosis, Yersinia infection, histoplasma infection, cap polyposis, Strongyloides stercorlis infection, cyclospora infection, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, Behçet's disease, diverticular‐associated colitis, radiation colitis, colon cancer, gastrointestinal malignant lymphoma, immune checkpoint inhibitor‐related colitis, and so forth.

Fatty diarrhea

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, blind‐loop syndrome, Whipple's disease, celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, pancreas cancer, mesenteric ischemia, short bowel syndrome, and so forth.