Poppy seed test (medical sign)
Encyclopedia
In medicine, the poppy seed test is a diagnostic test
used before surgery to predict if surgery will find a colovesical fistula (an abnormal direct pathway between the colon
and urinary bladder
) or other type of vesicointestinal fistula
.
The test is very simple. The patient eats some poppy seed
s, then the patient's urine
is collected in a cup. If a poppy seed is found in the urine, the patient has a colovesical or related fistula.
The test is very accurate. In a series of 49 patients who underwent surgery for colovesical fistula due to sigmoid diverticulitis
, the poppy seed test gave a correct diagnosis more often than abdominopelvic computerized tomography, magnetic resonance tomography of the abdomen, cystogram, retrograde colonic enema, urethrocystoscopy, and colonoscopy. In a series of 20 patients in the United States
, the poppy seed test was significantly more accurate than computed tomography
. In these two series, respectively, sensitivity
of the test was 94.6% and 100%. Because of the physical nature of the test, specificity
of the test is necessarily 100%.
The test is very inexpensive. In the United States it has been reported to cost under 6 dollars and two orders of magnitude less than computed tomography.
The test was first described in the English
medical literature in 2001, by a group of urologists in Germany
. From 1994 to 1999, they gave 250 grams (8.8 oz) of poppy seeds to a series of 17 patients, then examined the patients' urine for two days. The test results were correct for all patients: 11 patients with fistulas did pass poppy seeds in their urine and 6 patients without fistulas did not pass poppy seeds.
Medical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis refers both to the process of attempting to determine or identify a possible disease or disorder , and to the opinion reached by this process...
used before surgery to predict if surgery will find a colovesical fistula (an abnormal direct pathway between the colon
Colon (anatomy)
The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...
and urinary bladder
Urinary bladder
The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...
) or other type of vesicointestinal fistula
Vesicointestinal fistula
A vesicointestinal fistula is a form of fistula between the bladder and the bowel.-Types:A fistula involving the bladder can have one of many specific names, describing the specific location of its outlet:...
.
The test is very simple. The patient eats some poppy seed
Poppy seed
Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy . The tiny kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years...
s, then the patient's urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
is collected in a cup. If a poppy seed is found in the urine, the patient has a colovesical or related fistula.
The test is very accurate. In a series of 49 patients who underwent surgery for colovesical fistula due to sigmoid diverticulitis
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
, the poppy seed test gave a correct diagnosis more often than abdominopelvic computerized tomography, magnetic resonance tomography of the abdomen, cystogram, retrograde colonic enema, urethrocystoscopy, and colonoscopy. In a series of 20 patients in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the poppy seed test was significantly more accurate than computed tomography
Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
. In these two series, respectively, sensitivity
Sensitivity and specificity
Sensitivity and specificity are statistical measures of the performance of a binary classification test, also known in statistics as classification function. Sensitivity measures the proportion of actual positives which are correctly identified as such Sensitivity and specificity are statistical...
of the test was 94.6% and 100%. Because of the physical nature of the test, specificity
Sensitivity and specificity
Sensitivity and specificity are statistical measures of the performance of a binary classification test, also known in statistics as classification function. Sensitivity measures the proportion of actual positives which are correctly identified as such Sensitivity and specificity are statistical...
of the test is necessarily 100%.
The test is very inexpensive. In the United States it has been reported to cost under 6 dollars and two orders of magnitude less than computed tomography.
The test was first described in the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
medical literature in 2001, by a group of urologists in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. From 1994 to 1999, they gave 250 grams (8.8 oz) of poppy seeds to a series of 17 patients, then examined the patients' urine for two days. The test results were correct for all patients: 11 patients with fistulas did pass poppy seeds in their urine and 6 patients without fistulas did not pass poppy seeds.