Biopsy Results - No Idea What They Mean

sazzie · January 20, 2009

Well i managed to sneak a copy of my results off my GP before i see my specialist next week so here are my results:

1. Duodenal Biopsy (2 fragments)

There are fragments of small bowel mucosa showing a mild variable villous abnormality with some shortening and blunting of villi. Some villi are within normal limits. The epithelium is well preserved with and intact brush border, however, there is a mild increase in the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes.
The lamina propia contains a mild increase in the number of chronic inflammatory cells.

The features are those of a mild variable villous abnormality associated with an intraepthelial lymphocytosis. The features are not specific, but are consistent with celiac disease, in particular, partially treated celiac disease. Correlation with the clinical features and results of serological investigations is recommended.

2. Colonic Biopsy (3 fragments)

Within the lamina propia there is a chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate within normal limits.

Diagnosis:
1: Mild variable villous abnormality associated with an intraepithelial lymphocytosis (see above)
2: Large bowel mucosa within normal limits.

I have had weakly positive blood tests for the past 8 - 9 months so I am pretty much certain that i am going to be diagnosed with celiacs and i understand the villi bits but the rest i have no idea, can anyone please enlighten me?

Thanks

Lisa

rinne · January 20, 2009

Well i managed to sneak a copy of my results off my GP before i see my specialist next week so here are my results:
....

I have had weakly positive blood tests for the past 8 - 9 months so I am pretty much certain that i am going to be diagnosed with celiacs and i understand the villi bits but the rest i have no idea, can anyone please enlighten me?

Thanks

Lisa

An elevated IEL population, as determined by biopsy, typically indicates ongoing inflammation within the mucosa. In diseases such as coeliac sprue, IEL elevation throughout the small intestine is one of many specific markers.

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It appears to me that you do have Celiac although I understand that damage to the villi may be caused by other things.

Did I understand you correctly to say that you have had blood tests every week for 8 -9 months showing positive for Celiac?

And hello and welcome.

sazzie · January 20, 2009

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It appears to me that you do have Celiac although I understand that damage to the villi may be caused by other things.

Did I understand you correctly to say that you have had blood tests every week for 8 -9 months showing positive for Celiac?

And hello and welcome.

Hi,

Sorry i should have clarified it abit better.

I have had 2 seperate blood tests over the past 9 months.

First one was the EMA (weak) and TTG (5 when anything >5 was weakly positive) 9 months ago

Then i have had another one recently that came back for ttg 39 when anything over 20 was weakly positive or positive cannot remember which one and the EMA for that was positive as well.

So after reading through this forum i have realised pretty much that i do have it even without having the biopsy but the doc wanted to do it.

IEL population - I'm assuming that this is what is slightly elevated in my report?

Thank you for the welcome too!

Lisa

rinne · January 20, 2009

What I understood was that the increase of lymphocytes indicates your body is responding to something as a toxin, this is typical of celiac disease. Our body, perceiving an attack by a poison, creates mucous to protect our gut but that mucous then damages our gut, voila the auto-immune disorder.

I think it is critical to really listen to what our bodies want and to trust that, I know that I got into trouble because I didn't listen. I knew for years I had problems with wheat, and it was sooooo very easy not to listen when all around me was wheat and more wheat and .....well you know.

The wonderful thing is that we can heal.