Capsule endoscopy findings in celiac disease

Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a noninvasive imaging method used to evaluate intestinal mucosa. We aimed to examine intestinal mucosal changes in celiac disease (CD) with CE. Eight untreated patients who had anti-endomysial antibody-positive duodenal biopsy results consistent with CD were included in the study. Villous atrophy, scalloping, fissuring, and mosaic pattern (consistent with CD) were detected in seven patients; one patient was excluded for early meal consumption. No patchy involvement was found in the intestine or distal region of the intestine (ileum) in any of the patients. The common feature of all patients was that villous atrophy, scalloping, fissuring, and mosaic patterns detected in the proximal intestine gradually decreased towards the distal intestine. CE provided no diagnostic contribution to CD when compared with duodenal biopsy. It can be used to show villous atrophy in selected cases and to evaluate the extension of intestinal involvement in CD. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.