Saturation of stool color in HSV color model is a promising objective parameter for screening biliary atresia.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We aimed to study whether saturation in HSV color model could be a parameter for acholic stool and utilized for designing a mobile application for screening biliary atresia (BA). METHODS: Saturations of the colors in the three validated stool color cards (Taiwan, Japan, Britain) were read using PHOTOSHOP. Stools from 40 BA patients and 40 in-hospital neonates with pneumonia were photographed and analyzed with color-analyzing mobile applications. RESULTS: Saturations of normal colors in the published stool cards were all >50% (67%~99%, median 85%) and were all <50% (7~47%, median 25%) for abnormal colors. With saturation<60% as a cutoff line, acholic stools could be identified with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 85%. CONCLUSION: Saturation of stool color in HSV model is a promising objective parameter for acholic stool and could be utilized in designing mobile APPs for screening BA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Study of diagnostic test, level II.