The absorption and utilization of radioactive iron has been studied in sixteen patients with steatorrhea and a control group of twelve patients with hypochromic anemia without steatorrhea and three subjects without anemia. The patients with idiopathic steatorrhea showed a poor absorption of the test dose given by mouth. This is in keeping with their poor clinical response to oral treatment with iron. There is some evidence to suggest that poor absorption in such patients may not be the sole factor involved in the development of the anemia.