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sprue

sprue

1 9.9
A long illness of the small intestine that stops it absorbing food properly, causing diarrhea and weight loss
  • noun
  • /spruː/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sprue
  • Serological tests for scleroderma and celiac sprue were negative.
  • celiac sprue

Examples

  • Patients with celiac sprue often experience chronic diarrhea and fatigue due to malabsorption of essential nutrients.

  • The blood test has only about 75% accuracy, but I was inclined to trust it when it came back negative for celiac sprue.

    Blog text (12)
  • Celiac sprue is diagnosed with a biopsy.

    Blog text (31)
  • He had been told that he had celiac sprue and had been treated with a course of steroids with transient improvement.

    Academic text (2007)
  • But heck, just thinking about how long it took to diagnose my cousin's celiac sprue (originally misdiagnosed as meningitis)...

    Blog text (31)
  • After being hospitalized for weight loss, the doctor diagnosed him with celiac sprue, explaining how it affects nutrient absorption.

  • Managing celiac sprue requires a strict gluten-free diet to prevent symptoms and promote healing in the intestines.

Synonyms

psilosis
vssprue
  • Archaic
9.9

A long-lasting illness that makes the body not take in food, causing smelly diarrhea and weight loss

emphasizes the anatomical cause in the small intestine rather than symptom detail

Compounds

tropical sprue
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A long illness in hot countries that makes the small intestine absorb food poorly, causing diarrhea and weight loss

Surface Forms

sprue singular
sprues plural

Etymology

Sprue comes from an old Dutch word spruw meaning 'mouth disease', and people used it for illnesses that made them weak and thin. So sprue now names a long-term gut disease where the small intestine cannot take in nutrients, causing long-lasting diarrhea and weight loss.