Diagnostic Tests for Pale stool

Diagnostic Test list for Pale stool:

The list of diagnostic tests mentioned in various sources as used in the diagnosis of Pale stool includes:

• Physical examination
  • Inspect color of the skin and sclera of the eyes - e.g. the yellow discoloration of the sclera and the skin in jaundice results from elevated Bilirubin levels in the blood.
  • Abdominal examination for enlarged liver, enlarged spleen, ascites and palpable gallbladder which may be associated with various causes of cholestatic jaundice and may help in determining the cause - e.g. if there is little or no enlargement of the liver this would suggest Gilbert's disease or Dubin-Johnson syndrome; enlarged gallbladder may suggest obstructive jaundice, cancer of the pancreas, cancer of the bile ducts or cancer of the ampulla of Vater; significantly enlarged spleen may suggest infectious mononucleosis or cirrhosis of the liver; edema and ascites would suggest alcoholic cirrhosis.
  • Look for evidence of chronic liver disease such as reddening of the palms, easy bruising, muscle wasting, testicular atrophy and enlargement of the breasts in males
• Blood tests
  • Full blood count, ESR
  • Renal function tests and biochemistry
  • Liver function tests with Bilirubin level
  • Viral serology for Hepatitis A, B and C
  • CMV, EBV and leptospirosis serology, if suspected
  • Amylase and lipase can detect pancreatitis which may cause pale stools either due to obstructive jaundice or due to steatorrhea (due to malabsorption)
  • ANA autoantibodies and smooth muscle antibody, if suspect lupus hepatitis
  • Antimitochondrial antibodies if suspect biliary cirrhosis
  • Alpha 1 - fetoprotein will help diagnose primary liver cancer.
  • Tissue transglutaminase antibodies, if suspect Celiac disease
• Urine analysis and microscopy - Look for Bilirubin present in jaundice.
• Stool tests
  • Stool microscopy for ova, parasites and culture for bacteria
  • Giardia antigen
  • 24 hour Stool analysis of fecal fat - if steatorrhea is present (i.e. fatty, pale colored, extremely smelly stools that float in the toilet and are difficult to flush away due to excess fat in the stool).
• Radiological investigations
  • Upper abdominal ultrasound scan to look for an obstructive cause of jaundice - e.g. cancer or gallstones.
  • CT Scan of the abdomen may be done to rule out a enlargement of the head of the pancreas due to pancreatic cancer
  • ERCP - if upper abdominal ultrasound suggests obstructive cause outside the liver i.e. dilated bile ducts. Used to diagnose a stone in the common bile duct or biliary obstruction due to cancer.
• Liver biopsy may be required if upper abdominal ultrasound does not show dilated bile ducts and suspect hepatocellular jaundice
• Sigmoidoscopy and/or colonoscopy with or without a small bowel aspiration and biopsy - if pale colored diarrhea persists (may be required to detect celiac disease or Giardia infection).

Home Diagnostic Testing

These home medical tests may be relevant to Pale stool causes:

• Colon & Rectal Cancer: Home Testing
  • Home Colorectal Cancer Tests
  • Home Fecal Occult Bleeding Tests
• Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing:
  • Home Food Allergy Tests
  • Home Food Intolerance Testing
  • Home Water Testing
  • Home Lead Poisoning Tests
  • Home Heavy Metal Poisoning Tests
• Digestive-Related Home Testing:
  • Home Stomach Ulcer Tests
  • Home Colorectal Cancer Test Kits
  • Home Fecal Occult Bleeding Test Kits

 » Next page: Glossary

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