title: Diagnostic value of terminal ileum biopsy in chronic diarrhea with normal endoscopic appearance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the diagnostic value of a terminal ileum biopsy in chronic non-bloody diarrhea with normal endoscopic appearance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had a terminal ileum biopsy performed between January 2007 and January 2010 during a colonoscopy despite normal endoscopic appearance were reviewed. They were divided into two groups according to the indication for the colonoscopy: non-bloody diarrhea and non-diarrhea; and their histopathological findings were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By screening the colonoscopy records, 473 patients were found to have had a terminal ileum biopsy. Of these patients, 178 were excluded for various reasons. Finally, 295 patients were suitable for analysis. The non-bloody diarrhea group consisted of 135 patients, while the remaining 160 patients constituted the non-diarrhea group. A histopathological examination of the terminal ileum biopsy specimens in the non-bloody diarrhea group revealed an abnormal histology in eight patients (5.9%), compared with five patients (3.1%) in the non-diarrhea group. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (P=0.26).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although performing a biopsy of the terminal ileum despite a macroscopically normal appearance may offer some additional benefit to the diagnosis of chronic non-bloody diarrhea, prospective trials are needed for assessing the diagnostic value of a terminal ileum biopsy in patients with chronic diarrhea.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Teaching and Research Hospital, Kizilay Sk. no. 2, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. drabdurrahim@gmail.com
authors: Abdurrahim
authors: A
authors: Sayilir
authors: Mevlüt
authors: M
authors: Kurt
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Kekilli
authors: Ibrahim K
authors: IK
authors: Onal
authors: Yavuz
authors: Y
authors: Beyazit
authors: Nesrin
authors: N
authors: Turhan
authors: Mehmet
authors: M
authors: Ibiş
authors: Mehmet
authors: M
authors: Arhan