Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 42, Issue 6 , Pages 605-612, May 1949

Aetiological and prognostic features in tropical sprue A study of 47 cases over a year period☆

  • A.W Woodruff, M.D., M.R.C.P., D.T.M., H.

      Affiliations

    • First Assistant, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College Hospital, London, UK
    • Lecturer in Clinical Tropical Medicine, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK

Abstract 


1.1. In a series of 47 cases of tropical sprue it is noted that there was a tendency for the cases to occur in small groups among personnel of individual units.

2.2. The months of greatest incidence of sprue in this series were those in which amoebic dysentery in the district was most prevalent—a time when intestinal infections are especially common., This and the previous point suggest that tropical sprue may be an infective disorder.

3.3. The possible infective agents would appear to be other than the organisms producing amoebic or bacillary dysentery.

4.4. After modern treatment the prognosis in tropical sprue over a 3-year period appears to be highly satisfactory. All 34 patients followed up were able to do their full duty—some heavy manual labour. The average increase in weight of the patients over the period was 24 lb. Any recurrences of spruelike symptoms such as diarrhoea or ulceration of the tongue had been very infrequent and transitory.

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

☆ I wish to thank Dr. F. Murgatroyd for his criticism and advice, Dr. J. Martin for the statistical comments, the D.G.M.S., Royal Air Force, for permission to publish this paper, and Dr. C. C. Ungley for advice regarding the follow-up of the patients.I am grateful to the University of Durham, Department of Medicine, for bearing the expenses of this investigation, which was mostly carried out while working on the University Medical Professorial Unit.

PII: 0035-9203(49)90071-1

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 42, Issue 6 , Pages 605-612, May 1949

Article Tools