CT Enteroclysis Helps Diagnose Uncomplicated Celiac Disease

CT enteroclysis, what some doctors have called the gold standard imaging test for diagnosing small bowel disease, may be helpful in evaluating uncomplicated celiac disease in patients with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms, says a study recently published in Radiology.

The study looked at 44 patients, 32 of whom had a known diagnosis of uncomplicated celiac disease at the time of CT enteroclysis and had the test because of chronic abdominal pain and possible complications. The other 12 patients had nonspecific symptoms such as chronic anemia and abdominal pain, and were diagnosed with uncomplicated celiac disease after CT enteroclysis. A control group of 44 patients without celiac disease who had had CT enteroclysis for similar symptoms was included.

Results found these features in the study group:

• A reversed jejunoileal fold pattern, with more ileal folds per inch than the control group
• More fold and wall thickening within the jejunum and ileum
• Strong association of mesenteric vessel enlargement and splenic atrophy

“This study demonstrates that CT enteroclysis can be used in the diagnosis of uncomplicated celiac disease  patients,” said John C. Sabatino, MD, who reviewed the study. One of the study’s limitations, which the researchers reported, was that no attempt was made to establish a correlation between CT enteroclysis features and findings on duodenal biopsy, Sabatino noted.

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