Small Intestine Disorders

Summary

Your small intestine is the longest part of your digestive system – about twenty feet long! It connects your stomach to your large intestine (or colon) and folds many times to fit inside your abdomen. Your small intestine does most of the digesting of the foods you eat. It has three areas called the duodenum, the ileum, and the jejunum.

Problems with the small intestine can include:

• Bleeding
• Celiac disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Infections
• Intestinal cancer
• Intestinal obstruction
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Ulcers, such as peptic ulcer

Treatment of disorders of the small intestine depends on the cause.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Find an Expert

• American College of Gastroenterology American College of Gastroenterology
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bacteria Culture Test National Library of Medicine
• Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) National Library of Medicine
• Ova and Parasite Test National Library of Medicine
• Small Bowel Bleeding American College of Gastroenterology
• Small Bowel Follow-Through Radiological Society of North America
• Understanding Capsule Endoscopy American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Duodenal Diseases National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Ileal Diseases National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Intestinal Diseases National Institutes of Health

Encyclopedia

• Culture – duodenal tissue Medical Encyclopedia
• Enteroclysis Medical Encyclopedia
• Ileostomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Meckel’s diverticulum Medical Encyclopedia
• Necrotizing enterocolitis Medical Encyclopedia
• Short bowel syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
• Small bowel resection – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• Small intestine aspirate and culture Medical Encyclopedia
• Smear of duodenal fluid aspirate Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Disorders of the Small Intestine International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Intestinal Malrotation Nemours Foundation
• Meckel’s Diverticulum American Academy of Family Physicians
• Short Bowel Syndrome National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) Syndrome Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center

Patient Handouts

• Duodenal atresia Medical Encyclopedia
• EGD – esophagogastroduodenoscopy Medical Encyclopedia
• EGD discharge Medical Encyclopedia
• Enteritis Medical Encyclopedia
• Enteroscopy Medical Encyclopedia
• Meckel’s diverticulectomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Small bowel bacterial overgrowth Medical Encyclopedia
• Small bowel resection Medical Encyclopedia
• Upper GI and small bowel series Medical Encyclopedia

Children

• Intestinal Failure (Short Bowel Syndrome) North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
• Necrotizing Enterocolitis Nemours Foundation
• Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Rare Infections: Yersinia Enterocolitica and Yersinia Pseudotuberculosis American Academy of Pediatrics
• Short Bowel Syndrome (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Treatments and Therapies

• Intestine Transplant United Network for Organ Sharing
• Meckel’s diverticulectomy – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Small bowel resection – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia

Related Issues

• Ostomy Surgery of the Bowel National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Journal Articles

• Small Intestine Disorders

Start Here

• Your Digestive System and How It Works National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases