["Qualitative test of fecal fat" and "steatocrit", simple complementary methods for the evaluation of steatorrhea in childhood]

Abstract

The evaluation of fecal fat elimination (steatorrhoea) is of primary importance for diagnosis of gastroenterological disorders. In childhood it is quite difficult to apply the ordinary methods of evaluation, on the other hand it is necessary to make use of them to screen and diagnose maldigestion and/or malabsorption syndromes. In this work "Steatocrit" method by Phuapradit and "Fecal fat qualitative test" (FFQT) on glass, by Jacobson, have been used in a parallel study on stool samples from subjects with suspected gastrointestinal disease. While Steatocrit was determined on 200 samples, FFQT was determined on 1574 samples. Our data show that steatocrit is fully able to detect quantitative steatorrhoea with high significance when compared to controls. Likewise FFQT shows a sensibility of 100% compared to controls and it is able to predict coeliac disease and cystic fibrosis in 85.5% of cases and in 89.9% of cases respectively. We conclude that these two tests are sure and auxiliary each other. They allow, when performed on the same sample, to go toward diagnosis of both malabsorption and maldigestion, furthermore they allow to monitor steatorrhoea under therapy.