The problem occurs when the sample odds ratio is Inf, such as in the following example. Given the fact that both upper bounds of the two 95% confidence intervals are Inf, I would have expected that the two lower bounds be equal, but they aren't.
x <- matrix(c(9,4,0,2),2,2) x # [,1] [,2] #[1,] 9 0 #[2,] 4 2 rbind("two.sided.95CI"=fisher.test(x)$conf.int, "greater.95CI"=fisher.test(x,alt="greater")$conf.int) # [,1] [,2] #two.sided.95CI 0.2985103 Inf #greater.95CI 0.4625314 Inf Using the noncentral hypergeometric distribution, we can calculate the probability mass of each possible table with same marginals as x. Ref.: Alan Agresti (1990). Categorical data analysis. New York: Wiley. Page 67. Hence, the result below suggests that the two-sided confidence interval has a confidence level of 97.5% as opposed to 95%. n11 <- 7:9 theta <- 0.2985103 choose(9,n11)*choose(15-9,13-n11)*theta^n11/ sum(choose(9,n11)*choose(15-9,13-n11)*theta^n11) #[1] 0.67344877 0.30154709 0.02500414 The 95% confidence interval with one-sided (greater) alternative appears to be correct. theta <- 0.4625314 choose(9,n11)*choose(15-9,13-n11)*theta^n11/ sum(choose(9,n11)*choose(15-9,13-n11)*theta^n11) #[1] 0.5608724 0.3891316 0.0499960 Sincerely, Jerome Asselin -- Jerome Asselin (Jérôme), Statistical Analyst British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS St. Paul's Hospital, 608 - 1081 Burrard Street Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA V6Z 1Y6 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: 604 806-9112 Fax: 604 806-9044 ______________________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel