European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology
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Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol · Nov 2019
Meta AnalysisFaecal calprotectin as a diagnostic marker of inflammatory bowel disease in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms: meta-analysis.
Colonoscopy is the standard medical procedure to identify inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. Noninvasive measurement of faecal calprotectin concentration may replace colonoscopy in this indication. The study aimed to assess efficacy of faecal calprotectin as a diagnostic marker of IBD in patients with symptoms suggestive of such diagnosis. ⋯ Calculated pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.882 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.827-0.921] and 0.799 (95% CI, 0.693-0.875), respectively. Following faecal calprotectin incorporation in the diagnostic work-up of 100 people with suspected IBD, 18 non-IBD patients will have a colonoscopy performed and one patient with the disease will not be referred for this examination. Faecal calprotectin concentration measurement is a useful screening test to rule out IBD, at the same time reducing the need for colonoscopy by 66.7%.