Tropical sprue in a Filipino

The first case of mild Tropical Sprue in a Filipino is reported. The symptoms, as well as the microscopic changes in the jejunal and elial mucosa, were mild and non-specific. There was malabsorption of vitamin B12 which reverted to normal after a course of oral tetracycline and parenteral vitamin B12. The occurrence of tropical sprue in a Filipino and American visitors suggests a large reservoir of the disease exists in the Philippines