Can Celiac Be Diagnosed Via Colonoscopy Biopsy?

[Amyswalter]

During my colonoscopy, my doctor took biopsy from my inflamed terminal Ileum (lowest part of small intestine). Can celiac disease be diagnosed from a biopsy of that area, or does the biopsy HAVE to come from the top of my small intestine via the stomach?

[Greg Rappaport]

  On 8/17/2011 at 1:49 PM, Amyswalter said:

During my colonoscopy, my doctor took biopsy from my inflamed terminal Ileum (lowest part of small intestine). Can celiac disease be diagnosed from a biopsy of that area, or does the biopsy HAVE to come from the top of my small intestine via the stomach?

I'm not a doctor, but I do believe the latter is correct. When I was diagnosed (about 12 years ago) I had bloodwork (celiac panel - endomysial IGA antibody) done which came back positive. Next my gastroenterologist scheduled me for an endoscopy, which revealed flattening in my stomach and duodenum. Biopsies are also taken which are used in the overall assessment as well.

Best of luck.

[cahill]

  On 8/17/2011 at 1:49 PM, Amyswalter said:

During my colonoscopy, my doctor took biopsy from my inflamed terminal Ileum (lowest part of small intestine). Can celiac disease be diagnosed from a biopsy of that area, or does the biopsy HAVE to come from the top of my small intestine via the stomach?

During my colonoscopy my doctor took 2 biopsy to check for microscopic colitis.

Celiac disease can be diagnosed from biopsys of the small intestine via endoscopy and/or blood work.

[The Horticulturalist]

  On 8/17/2011 at 1:49 PM, Amyswalter said:

During my colonoscopy, my doctor took biopsy from my inflamed terminal Ileum (lowest part of small intestine). Can celiac disease be diagnosed from a biopsy of that area, or does the biopsy HAVE to come from the top of my small intestine via the stomach?

Technically, yes, it can be diagnosed that way.

The gold standard test, however, is with an endoscopy and several biopsies. Have a read up about it on a website like the Mayo Clinic of the Uni of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. I've read that it's better to have someone with some experience in diagnosing celiac do the endoscopy, I also read that many GI Docs do not take sufficient numbers of biopsies to give an. accurate diagnosis

[heathen]

Celiac disease is a disease primarily of the small intestine, although you can see some changes in the colon that are non-specific. In other words, if you're going for biopsy, you have to get an EGD, although based on your history, your GI may opt to do a colonoscopy as well just to check things out.