Monitoring steatorrhoea in cystic fibrosis.

The aim of the study was the evaluation of the relationship between chemical fat analysis and some more rapid tests proposed to estimate steatorrhoea. Stool collections (72 h) were obtained on 32 occasions in 22 patients with cystic fibrosis and in seven healthy children. A very close relationship was found between faecal fat, as measured by standard chemical methods, and faecal energy (r = 0.95, P < 0.001). We conclude that the determination of faecal energy, easier to measure than faecal fat, can provide reliable information about the extent of steatorrhoea in cystic fibrosis.