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Comparison of indirect diagnostic methods for hypolactasia.
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology
|April 1, 1988
Summary
The strip test is a reliable and recommended method for diagnosing hypolactasia, offering good specificity and sensitivity for general practitioners. This contrasts with the breath hydrogen test, which showed lower sensitivity in the study.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Digestive Health
- Diagnostic Medicine
Background:
- Hypolactasia is a common cause of abdominal complaints.
- Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective patient management.
- Previous work established a baseline for comparing diagnostic methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare indirect diagnostic methods for hypolactasia against jejunal biopsy.
- To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of various diagnostic tests.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-three adult patients underwent multiple tests: breath hydrogen test, lactose tolerance test with ethanol (serum galactose), urinary lactose tolerance test (urinary galactose), and a strip test for urinary galactose.
- Comparison was made with the lactase to sucrase ratio from jejunal biopsy.
Main Results:
- All tested methods demonstrated high specificity (96-98%).
- The 3-hour breath hydrogen test exhibited lower sensitivity (69%) compared to other methods (81-94%).
- The strip test showed good sensitivity and specificity.
Conclusions:
- The strip test is recommended for general practitioners due to its diagnostic accuracy for hypolactasia.
- The breath hydrogen test is less sensitive than other indirect methods.
- Accurate diagnosis of hypolactasia can be achieved through validated indirect testing.