<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Lauren Sarantou asked: >*What other situations may cause this? This is from a long ago post to this list. Mostly written by Joe Murray, MD: Steatorrhea is the passage of fatty stools that are pale, bulky, frothy, greasy, malodorous and they float. They may be liquid or semi-formed. The causes of steatorrhea include: celiac disease (gluten intolerance) pancreatic disease cirrhosis other liver diseases malabsorption due to other causes giardia infection vascular disease Whipple's disease small bowel Crohn's and about a 100 other diseases Don.