A stool test is one where fecal matter is collected for analysis to diagnose the presence or absence of a medical condition.

Fecal occult blood test

One of the most common stool tests, the Fecal occult blood test can be used to diagnose many conditions that cause in bleeding in the gastrointestinal system including Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....

 or Stomach cancer

Stomach cancer

Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...

.

Microbiology tests

Parasitic diseases such as Ascariasis

Ascariasis

Ascariasis is a human disease caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. Perhaps as many as one quarter of the world's people are infected, with rates of 45% in Latin America and 95% in parts of Africa. Ascariasis is particularly prevalent in tropical regions and in areas of poor...

, Hookworm

Hookworm

The hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...

, Strongyloidiasis

Strongyloidiasis

Strongyloidiasis is a human parasitic disease caused by the nematode Strongyloides stercoralis, or sometimes S. fülleborni. It can cause a number of symptoms in people, principally skin symptoms, abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss...

 and Whipworm

Whipworm

The human tapworm is a roundworm, which causes trichuriasis when it infects a human large intestine. The name whipworm refers to the shape of the worm; they look like whips with wider "handles" at the posterior end.-Life cycle:The female T. trichiura produces 2,000–10,000 single celled eggs per day...

 can be diagnosed by examining stools under a microscope for the presence of worm larvae or eggs. Some bacterial diseases can be detected with a stool culture. Toxins from bacteria such as Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile , also known as "CDF/cdf", or "C...

 ('C. diff.') can also be identified. Viruses such as rotavirus

Rotavirus

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea among infants and young children, and is one of several viruses that cause infections often called stomach flu, despite having no relation to influenza. It is a genus of double-stranded RNA virus in the family Reoviridae. By the age of five,...

 can also be found in stools.

Chemical tests

A fecal pH test

Fecal pH test

A fecal pH test is one where a specimen of feces is tested for acidity in order to diagnose a medical condition. Human feces is normally alkaline. An acidic stool can indicate a digestive problem such as lactose intolerance or a contagion such as E. coli or Rotavirus.-Test procedure:The test is...

 may be used determine lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency or hypolactasia, is the inability to digest and metabolize lactose, a sugar found in milk...

 or the presence of an infection. Steatorrhea

Steatorrhea

Steatorrhea is the presence of excess fat in feces. Stools may also float due to excess lipid, have an oily appearance and be especially foul-smelling. An oily anal leakage or some level of fecal incontinence may occur. There is increased fat excretion, which can be measured by determining the...

 can be diagnosed using a Fecal fat

Fecal fat

In medicine, the fecal fat test is a diagnostic test for fat malabsorption conditions, which lead to excess fat in the feces .-Background:...

test that checks for the malabsorption of fat.

Faecal Elastase levels are becoming the mainstay of pancreatitis diagnosis.