A medical student is reviewing small bowel biopsy pathology reports for several patients presenting with chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and signs of malabsorption. Match each clinical diagnosis with its hallmark histologic finding on small intestinal biopsy.
- Celiac diseaseVillous blunting, crypt hyperplasia, and increased intraepithelial lymphocytes
- Whipple diseaseFoamy macrophages containing PAS-positive, diastase-resistant granules in the lamina propria
- AbetalipoproteinemiaNormal villous architecture with lipid-laden enterocytes concentrated at the villus tips
- Eosinophilic gastroenteritisDense infiltration of the mucosa and submucosa by eosinophils
Answer
Celiac disease matches with villous blunting; Whipple disease matches with PAS-positive macrophages; Abetalipoproteinemia matches with lipid-laden enterocytes; Eosinophilic gastroenteritis matches with dense eosinophilic infiltration.
Accurate diagnosis of chronic diarrhea and malabsorption relies heavily on endoscopic biopsy. Each of these four conditions presents with distinct and defining histopathological features that guide targeted therapy.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Histopathologic diagnosis of malabsorptive syndromes