NeuroTalk Support Groups - Aust. news story: Diagnostic microscope

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...eliac+imersion

Quote:

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Jan 1;23(1):61-9.Click here to read Links
High accuracy and cost-effectiveness of a biopsy-avoiding endoscopic approach in diagnosing coeliac disease.

* Cammarota G,
* Cesaro P,
* Martino A,
* Zuccala G,
* Cianci R,
* Nista E,
* Larocca LM,
* Vecchio FM,
* Gasbarrini A,
* Gasbarrini G.

Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Catholic University of Medicine and Surgery, Rome, Italy. gcammarota@rm.unicatt.it

BACKGROUND: The 'immersion' technique during upper endoscopy allows the visualization of duodenal villi and the detection of total villous atrophy. AIM: To evaluate the accuracy of the immersion technique in detecting total villous atrophy in suspected coeliac patients. The accuracy in diagnosing coeliac disease and the potential cost-sparing of a biopsy-avoiding approach, based on selection of individuals with coeliac disease-related antibodies and on endoscopic detection of absence of villi, were also analysed. METHODS: The immersion technique was performed in 79 patients with positive antibodies and in 105 controls. Duodenal villi were evaluated as present or absent. As reference, results were compared with histology. Diagnostic approaches, including endoscopy with or without biopsy, were designed to investigate patients with coeliac disease-related antibodies and total villous atrophy. A cost-minimization analysis was performed. RESULTS: All patients with positive antibodies had coeliac disease. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of endoscopy to detect total villous atrophy was always 100%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of biopsy-avoiding or biopsy-including strategies in diagnosing coeliac disease when villi were absent was always 100%. The biopsy-avoiding strategy was cost-sparing. CONCLUSIONS: Upper endoscopy is highly accurate in detecting total villous atrophy coeliac patients. A biopsy-avoiding approach is both accurate and cost-sparing to diagnose coeliac disease in subjects with marked duodenal villous atrophy.

PMID: 16393281 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

This may be what they are referring to. This is done during endoscopy but sounds as though it picks up only total villous atrophy. Where are the tests that pick up CD early? Who is working on those. I hope that they are still taking biopsies when this method does not show damage.
Anne