Evaluation assists in differential diagnosis of diarrheal disease.
Fecal leukocyte may be present in idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease.
Associated with antibiotic associated colitis, ulcerative colitis, shigellosis, salmonellas, amebiasis, Yersina infections and Campylobacter infections.
Salmonella typhi may be associated with a monocytic response in stool.
Not seen with giardia, toxigenic bacterial infection, and viral infections.
Methylene blue stain for polymorpholeukocytes has a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 88% for bacterial diarrhea such as Shigella, Salmonella, and Campylobacter.