Triolein breath test of fat absorption in patients with chronic liver disease

We have compared the [14C]triolein breath test for fat malabsorption with fecal fat excretion corrected for marker pellet recovery in 23 subjects with chronic liver disease. The breath test identified 15 of the 17 subjects with abnormal fecal fat excretion (sensitivity 88%). However, four of the six subjects with normal fecal fat excretion gave abnormal breath test results (specificity 33%). While three of the four subjects with falsely abnormal breath tests had alcoholic liver disease, the explanation for the low specificity is unclear and may not be confined to patients with alcohol-related disease. We are therefore unable to recommend the breath test as a screen for steatorrhea in patients with chronic liver disease.