What is my stool test result showing?

Question

Hello doctor,

I just got my stool results, and I would like to ask a doctor to interpret it for me.

Lysozyme * 674 ≤ 500 ng/mL, Butyrate‡ 4.5 0.8 – 4.0 mg/mL, Total SCFA's‡ 17 5.0 – 16.0 mg/mL, Occult Blood Positive Negative.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

What are your symptoms? What was your dietary intake in 1-2 days prior to test? Amy family history of major gastrointestinal diseases? Now stool SCFA and butyrate are slightly out of range which is fine to have. Also, lysozyme is slightly elevated and it is a marker of inflammation in bowel which may be due to multiple reasons like IBS, IBD or diarrhea, etc. So it' is a nonspecific marker.

But important factor is stool for occult blood, which is positive. So there is some minor bleeding is going on within a bowels. This is the abnormality which should be evaluated further. This has multiple causes ranging from IBD to polyps, etc. However, some dietary factors like some fruits, vitamin C, iron supplements, nasal bleeding, hemorrhoids, etc, can give positive results.

Now, we would like to get total of 3 samples for occult blood testing and if it remains positive subsequently then needs endoscopy, or even if having symptoms then still need endoscopy. So, the concerning factor is stool for occult blood, rather than rest three, and needs further evaluation.