Butter stools

The digestion and absorption of fats is a complex process that involves the stomach, liver, pancreas, intestines and other organs. Due to disease of these aforementioned organs either singly or jointly, fat digestion and absorption becomes impaired resulting in excess fat in stool (human feces).

The feces become greasy, fatty and bulky (steatorrhea) – butter stools. It is not unusual for this type of stool to be foul-smelling and to float in water.

In general, stool consists of about 75% water and 25% solid matter.

Reference:
Harper M. Congenital steatorrhoea due to defect of the pancreas. Med J Aust, 1949 1(5):137-41. Go to reference
Go to Improbable version of this post

Butter

Image from Wikimedia Commons