sulfobromophthalein test, a liver function test in which the dye sulfobromophthalein sodium is introduced into the circulatory system and a blood sample is withdrawn 30 or 45 minutes later, depending on the dose injected. The parenchymal cells remove almost all of the dye within this time if they are functioning normally. The rate of removal is influenced by the blood flow through the portal circulation, the functioning capacity of the liver cells, and the patency of the biliary tract.
