SUMMARY:
Persistent Villous Atrophy in Celiac Disease Patients May Increase Lymphoma Risk
A recent study suggests that patients with Celiac Disease who display persistent villous atrophy are at an increased risk for certain types of lymphoma. Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues reported their findings in the August 6 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The study collected data from 28 pathology departments in Sweden and analyzed the biopsy reports for 7625 patients with CD who underwent a follow-up biopsy after the initial diagnosis. Of the selected patients involved, 3308 were identified to have persistent intestinal damage. The results showed that patients with CD had a higher risk for developing lymphoma than the general population, while those with persistent villous atrophy had a higher risk compared to those with mucosal healing. In addition, persistent villous atrophy was linked to a higher risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The study has prompted physicians to reconsider the importance of a second-look biopsy that searches for healing of the small intestine. David S Sanders, MD, MBChB, FRCP, from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, told Medscape Medical News by email, “as a clinician and practicing gastroenterologist, this study will alter my practice.”
Authors: Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, MS; Fredrik Granath, PhD; Anders Ekbom, MD, PhD; Karin E. Smedby, MD, PhD; Joseph A. Murray, MD; Alfred I. Neugut, MD, PhD; Peter H.R. Green, MD; and Jonas F. Ludvigsson, MD, PhD
Source: Medscape