Endoscopy and Celiac

lisa15601 · Post by **lisa15601** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:53 am

Does anyone know if pathology slides would show Celiac disease, or is that something that specifically has to be tested for right after the procedure.. I asked the doc when I had my colon/endo done and i dont think he did it. I was just wondering if anyone has any input on this.

Post by **tex** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:03 am

Not biopsy sample slides from the colon. To diagnose celiac disease, by definition, the samples have to be taken from the small intestine, so that the pathologist can determine the extent of the damage to the villi, (if any exists). (There are no villi in the colon, that's why most nutrients cannot be absorbed in the colon. The colon can only absorb electrolytes and water.)

Tex

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:04 am

Lisa I believe that the biopsies taken during the endoscope procedure are used not the colonoscopy.

--Joe

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:09 am

You need to find out if they took biopsies during your endoscopy. Sometimes they just look. If they took biopsies, yes, the pathology would state whether there is damage to the villi in your small intestine, the diagnostic indicator of celiac.

lisa15601 · Post by **lisa15601** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 11:55 am

He did take biospies from the Upper Endoscopy for check for H pylori.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:03 pm

Hi Lisa you have to remember that there is celiac disease and then there is gluten intolerance. For the most part as far as the patient is concerned there is little difference between the 2 diagnosis as the symptoms and treatments are the same. Recent research is now recognizing that gluten intolerance (what most of us here have) and celiac disease are the same disease at different stages of development.

The good new the treatment is simple, avoid gluten

Take care Lisa

--Joe

lisa15601 · Post by **lisa15601** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:15 pm

I was just asking because I was wondering if I asked the doc about it, if he would still be able to tell by the slides about the Celiac.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:20 pm

Lisa he may be able to. They do keep the slides with the biopsies for a while (not sure how long) and if they took a sample of the villi in the small intestine during the endoscope that could be re-examined.

With that said though if they did take a biopsy of the villi during the endoscope, then they would have already looked at it for celiac disease. The only reason to biopsy of that tissue would be to look a that possibility. Now if your blood work did not show the markers for celiac disease the doc may not have even bothered taking a biopsy. Did you have a celiac blood test before or after the endoscope?

--Joe