Chronic nonspecific diarrhea. A complication of dietary fat restriction.

Chronic nonspecific diarrhea is a frequent cause of prolonged diarrhea in childhood. Typical diagnostic features include onset by 30 months of age, normal growth and development, and diarrhea lasting longer than two weeks. It usually follows a gastroenteritis or an acute infection and has been associated with a low intake of dietary fat. Five patients experienced this condition following dietary manipulation to prevent the occurrence of atheromatous coronary artery disease. This indicates that diminished dietary fat not only can prolong postinfectious diarrhea but can also induce a state of chronic diarrhea without evidence of malabsorption.