Making the diagnosis of coeliac disease

Abstract

Coeliac disease is one of the most common genetically based diseases. The wide clinical spectrum of the disease and the availability of highly specific antibody testing have led to an increased number of patients undergoing gastroscopy with distal duodenal biopsies. Histological confirmation of the characteristic small bowel changes with partial or total villous atrophy remain the gold standard for making a diagnosis. Patients with positive antibodies but initially negative or uncertain biopsies pose a particular diagnostic dilemma. Due to the patchiness of the histological changes, push enteroscopy with jejunal biopsies can play a valuable role in this group of patients. Similarly, patients with refractory coeliac disease can benefit from push enteroscopy with jejunal biopsies.