The steatocrit: an improved procedure.

The steatocrit is a simple and easily repeated assay for measuring the fat content of infants' stools. However, we and others have experienced technical difficulties in its use. Three modifications were therefore made to the original procedure: incorporation of a lipid-soluble dye, improved homogenization and a heating step. The modified method was used to measure the stool fat content of young children with and without clinical steatorrhoea. Validation of the modified steatocrit is presented, together with examples of its application to both clinical research and clinical practice.