Hydrogen breath test in small intestinal malabsorption.

Jejunal biopsy and hydrogen breath test were performed in 57 children, 34 having coeliac disease and 23 with other forms of malabsorption. In children affected by coeliac disease there was a gradually increasing incidence of positive findings with the H2 breath test as villous damage progressed. In the group of subtotal villous atrophy age dependence was also observed, the majority of positive results occurring below three years of age. In the non-coeliac group the most frequent cause of the positive finding was Giardia lamblia infestation. Among 27 cases with lactose malabsorption confirmed by a positive hydrogen breath test only 11 had diarrhoea. The test proved to be useful in differentiating between the contaminated intestine syndrome and malabsorption due to reduced absorptive surface.