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

Abstract

PurposeWe 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). MethodsSaturations 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. ResultsSaturations 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%. ConclusionSaturation 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 evidenceStudy of diagnostic test, level II.