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Low Vitamin B-12 levels can cause pernicious anemia. This can be caused by problems absorbing Vitamin B-12 or by not eating enough foods that contain Vitamin B-12. Some other causes are removal of part of the stomach or the development of an antibody against intrinsic factor.
If there is a problem with the stomach's ability to make intrinsic factor, Stage I of the test will be abnormal and Stage II will be normal. Both the Stage I and II Schilling tests will be abnormal in patients who have problems absorbing Vitamin B-12 and intrinsic factor in the small intestine.
Abnormal Stage I and II Schilling tests may indicate:
Lower-than-normal amounts of Vitamin B12 absorption may indicate:
- biliary disease, resulting in malabsorption (inadequate absorption of nutrients from the intestinal tract)
- intestinal malabsorption (for example, related to sprue or celiac disease)
- liver disease (causing malabsorption)
- pernicious anemia
Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:
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