14C-Triolein Breath Test as a Rapid and Convenient Screening Test for Fat Malabsorption

Abstract

The ¹⁴C-triolein breath test was evaluated as a screening test for fat malabsorption in 50 consecutive patients. After the ingestion of a 30-g fat meal containing 5 μCi ¹⁴C-triolein, the breath excretion of ¹⁴CO₂ was measured at hourly intervals for 6 h and compared with a 3-day faecal excretion of fat. Nineteen patients had steatorrhoea and 31 patients normal fat excretion. The maximum specific activity of CO₂ in the breath provided the best means of distinguishing between the two groups, with no false-negative values and nine false-positive values (29%). Our findings confirm that the ¹⁴C-triolein breath test is sensitive and has sufficient specificity for screening fat malabsorption, especially among outpatients. If a normal ¹⁴C-triolein breath test is obtained, it seems unnecessary to perform measurements of excretion of faecal fat.