Occult Blood - Stool

An Occult Blood (Stool) test, also known as a Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), is a non-invasive diagnostic screening used to detect microscopic or hidden (occult) traces of blood in a stool sample. Because this microscopic bleeding is completely invisible to the naked eye, the test relies on chemical solutions or antibodies to confirm its presence. This screen is primarily utilized as a vital preventive tool for colorectal cancer, as well as to investigate potential sources of gastrointestinal bleeding such as ulcers, polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, or hemorrhoids. A positive result does not definitively diagnose a specific condition, but rather signals that further diagnostic evaluation—typically a colonoscopy—is required to pinpoint the exact location and cause of the bleeding.