Comparison of the interobserver reproducibility with different histologic criteria used in celiac disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007 Jul;5(7):838-43. Epub 2007 Jun 4.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The Marsh-Oberhuber classification of duodenojejunal mucosal lesions is currently used for celiac disease. A more simplified classification, which is based on 3 villous morphologies (A, non-atrophic; B1, atrophic, villous-crypt ratio <3:1; B2, atrophic, villi no longer detectable) and an intraepithelial lymphocyte count of >25/100 enterocytes, has recently been proposed. The aim of the study was to asses the interobserver agreement between different pathologists in classifying celiac disease lesions according to both Marsh-Oberhuber and the new classification system. METHODS: Sixty patients were selected for the study: 10 subjects without celiac disease, 13 celiac patients with normal villi but a pathologic increase in intraepithelial lymphocytes >25/100 and hyperplastic crypts, and 37 patients with celiac disease with villous atrophy. Sixty slides were sent to 6 pathologists, who were blinded to each other and were not given any clinical information. Each pathologist received the set of biopsy specimens on 2 separate occasions and had to evaluate them according to both grading systems in a random order. The kappa statistic was used to assess agreement between each pair of pathologists. RESULTS: Overall, mean kappa values were 0.35 (fair) for the Marsh-Oberhuber classification versus 0.55 (moderate) for the new classification system. CONCLUSIONS: The new classification for duodenal pathology in celiac disease gives better interobserver agreement compared with the more cumbersome Marsh-Oberhuber classification and contributes to the validity of diagnosis in celiac disease.

Small intestinal biopsies in celiac disease: duodenal or jejunal? Virchows Arch. 2003 Feb;442(2):124-8. Epub 2002 Dec 20.

BACKGROUND: For diagnosis and follow-up of celiac disease, pediatric societies advise that intestinal mucosal specimens should be obtained using suction capsule from the jejunum. This procedure is strenuous for patients, time-consuming, expensive and requires radiographic guidance. Mucosal biopsies from the distal duodenum can be obtained more easily under endoscopic vision using forceps. The aim of the present study was to compare biopsies taken from the duodenal mucosa by forceps and from the jejunal mucosa using suction capsule with respect to histological outcome. METHODS: For this study, 171 paired biopsies were taken from 109 patients (1-75 years) from the distal duodenal mucosa using jumbo forceps and from the jejunal mucosa using Crosby suction capsule. Histological interpretation was performed according to a modified Marsh classification, including partial-, subtotal and total villous atrophy as Marsh IIIA, B, and C. RESULTS: Fourteen suction capsule biopsies were of insufficient quality to be interpreted (8%). All duodenal forceps biopsies produced adequate material for histological scoring. No differences in histological scoring were seen in 145 of 157 compared biopsies (92%). Of 12 biopsies in which a discrepancy was present, 4 showed more severe lesions in the duodenum and 8 more severe lesions in the jejunum. The differences were of clinical significance, i.e., including the presence and absence of villous atrophy in 9 of 157 paired biopsies (6%). CONCLUSION: In the present study, we demonstrated that mucosal specimens taken from the distal duodenal and jejunal mucosa are strongly correlated. Clinically significant discrepancies were present in only 6% of paired biopsies. Therefore we suggest that, in diagnosis and follow-up of celiac disease, mucosal specimens may be taken from the duodenum using forceps to obtain adequate material for histological interpretation.