Schilling test

Injury Disease Nutrition Poison Symptoms Surgery Test Special Topic

1 2 5 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X

Schilling test

Overview Risks Results

Schilling test

Excreting 8-40% of the radioactive Vitamin B-12 within 24-hours is normal.

Low Vitamin B-12 levels can cause pernicious anemia. This can be caused by problems absorbing Vitamin B-12 or by not eating enough foods that contain Vitamin B-12. Some other causes are removal of part of the stomach or the development of an antibody against intrinsic factor.

If there is a problem with the stomach's ability to make intrinsic factor, Stage I of the test will be abnormal and Stage II will be normal. Both the Stage I and II Schilling tests will be abnormal in patients who have problems absorbing Vitamin B-12 and intrinsic factor in the small intestine.

Abnormal Stage I and II Schilling tests may indicate:

• biliary disease
• celiac disease (sprue)
• hypothyroidism
• liver disease

Lower-than-normal amounts of Vitamin B12 absorption may indicate:

• biliary disease, resulting in malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract)
• intestinal malabsorption (for example, related to sprue or celiac disease)
• liver disease (causing malabsorption)
• pernicious anemia

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• anemia of B-12 deficiency
• blind loop syndrome
• megaloblastic anemia

Email this page  Printer friendly  Bookmark this page