Non-specific ileojejunitis in Arequipa, Peru.

Non-specific ileojejunitis, characterised by mild to moderate structural changes in the intestinal mucosa and often associated with asymptomatic malabsorption, is known to occur in the tropics and in countries with hot climates. This acquired condition is probably related to environmental factors, and some consider it to be a subclinical form of tropical sprue. Changes in the intestinal mucosa typical of non-specific ileojejunitis were found in 10 indigenous Indians as well as 5 people of Latin stock living in the Southern Peruvian sierra, where tropical sprue has not as yet been demonstrated and which has a temperate climate.