The diagnostic value of the duodenal biopsy: a clinico-pathologic analysis of 28,000 patients.

Background: Duodenal biopsies are frequently obtained to investigate malabsorption, diarrhoea, and anemia. The proportion of patients who have duodenal biopsies and their diagnostic yield are unclear.

Aims: To determine what proportion of patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy in a private setting has duodenal biopsies and to evaluate the diagnostic yield relative to clinical indications and endoscopic findings.

Methods: Records of patients who had duodenal biopsies diagnosed at a United States gastrointestinal pathology laboratory in a single year were analysed.

Results: 28,210 patients with and 75,175 without duodenal biopsies were studied. Duodenal biopsy patients were younger (52 years versus 58 years, p<0.001) and more likely to be female (OR 1.46; p<0.0001); 87% of children and 27% of adults had duodenal biopsies. Suspicion of malabsorption or sprue, diarrhoea, anemia, and weight loss were strong predictors of duodenal biopsy. More than 80% of patients had normal duodenum, except those biopsied for sprue, 64% of whom had normal findings. Marsh II-IIIc lesions were diagnosed in 23% of patients with suspected sprue, but in 3.0% of those with diarrhoea, weight loss, or anemia, and in 1.5% of patients with dyspepsia or GERD.

Conclusions: A clinical suspicion of sprue produces the highest yield of histopathologic abnormalities; women are biopsied more often than men despite having less duodenal pathology.