Clinical Nutrition

Lesson 9:Gastro intestinal tract diseases

Per oral Biopsy

Per oral biopsy of the small intestine has become established as a valuable procedure in the evaluation of patients with malabsorption. Only with biopsy can the physician establish or exclude with certainty diffuse disease of the mucosa of the small intestine as the cause of malabsorption, diarrhea and associated nutritional deficiencies.

A tube with suction is inserted into the mouth, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, jejunum and ileum and samples are withdrawn. These samples are useful in making observations on enzyme activity or histological aspects.