Table 2 Differential Diagnosis of Chronic Diarrhea Classified by Typical Stool Characteristics [6]
From: Colonic diverticular abscess presenting as chronic diarrhea: a case report
Watery diarrhea | Osmotic diarrhea | • Mg, PO4, SO4 ingestion |
|  |  | • Carbohydrate malabsorption |
|  | Secretory diarrhea | • Laxative abuse (nonosmotic laxatives) |
|  |  | • Congenital syndromes |
|  |  | • Bacterial toxins |
|  |  | • Ileal bile acid malabsorption |
|  |  | • Inflammatory bowel disease: Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Microscopic (lymphocytic and collagenous) colitis, Diverticulitis |
|  |  | • Vasculitis |
|  |  | • Drugs and poisons |
|  |  | • Disordered motility: Postvagotomy diarrhea, Postsympathectomy diarrhea, Diabetic autonomic neuropathy, Hyperthyroidism, Irritable bowel syndrome |
|  |  | • Neuroendocrine tumors: Gastrinoma, VIPoma, Somatostatinoma, Mastocytosis, Carcinoid syndrome, Medullary carcinoma of thyroid |
|  |  | • Neoplasia: Colon carcinoma, Lymphoma, Villous adenoma |
|  |  | • Addison's disease |
|  |  | • Epidemic secretory diarrhea |
|  |  | • Idiopathic secretory diarrhea |
Fatty diarrhea | • Malabsorption syndromes: Mucosal diseases, Short-bowel syndrome, Postresection diarrhea, Mesenteric ischemia | |
|  |  | • Maldigestion: Pancreatic insufficiency, Bile acid deficiency |
Inflammatory diarrhea | • Inflammatory bowel disease: Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Diverticulitis, Ulcerative jejunoileitis | |
|  |  | • Infectious diseases: Ulcerating viral infections (Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex) |
|  |  | • Ischemic colitis |
|  |  | • Radiation colitis |
|  |  | • Neoplasia: Colon cancer, Lymphoma |