APPLICATION: Suspected fat malabsorption; faecal fat excretion provides a more reliable assessment. Identification of carotenaemia as the cause of yellow skin.
INTERPRETATION: Low levels of fat soluble carotenes are found with malabsorption of fat. A more reliable assessment is to measure faecal fat excretion over a 3 day period. Low levels are sometimes used as an index of malabsorption. High levels of carotene are found with excessive intake, in hypothyroidism, and in certain types of hyperlipidaemia.
