Pathophysiological approach to chronic diarrhoea.

Chronic diarrhoea disrupts everyday life because of urgency, incontinence and frequent bowel movements. Non-inflammatory diarrhoea may be secondary to altered process of absorption, secretion or digestion. The most prevalent functional diarrhoea is due to altered gut-brain interaction and often after an acute gastroenteritis. Microscopic colitis, rare cases of eosinophilic colitis, congenital diarrhoeal disorders and bile acid malabsorption have been more frequently reported and their pathophysiology elucidated.