Steatocrit test after a standard fatty meal: a new simple and sensitive test to detect malabsorption.
The steatocrit test, a simple semiquantitative method for determining fat content in stool, was performed after a standard fatty meal to detect malabsorption in patients with celiac disease. Thirty-seven children (mean age 2.6 +/- 2.1 years) with total atrophy of the intestinal villi and 79 controls (mean age 3.5 +/- 2.8 years) were studied. All subjects underwent a small-bowel biopsy, a D-xylose absorption test, a rapid triglyceride absorption test, and a steatocrit determination first on an uncontrolled diet and then again after a standard fatty meal. The steatocrit test after a fatty meal did not detect any false-positive or false-negative results, while the D-xylose test showed two false-negative and four false-positive results, and the rapid triglyceride absorption test found two false-negative and 23 false-positive results. We conclude that the determination of steatocrit after a standard fatty meal is a useful, simple, and noninvasive test to identify patients with total intestinal villous atrophy.
IV Divisione Lattani, Ospedale di Cristina, Universitá di Palermo, Italy.
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G
Iacono
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Carroccio
G
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Montalto
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F
Cavataio
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V
Balsamo
A
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Notarbartolo
D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014994:Xylose / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D014994:Xylose