Small Intestinal Morphology in Aboriginal Children

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Abstract
Summary: Small intestinal morphology of 44 small intestinal mucosal biopsies taken from Australian aboriginal children were examined histologically, and also freshly with the dissecting microscope. The findings were compared with similar observations made in 91 biopsies from control Australian children of European descent. The morphological appearances using each method of examination were placed into grades or groups and the two methods compared.An increased prevalence of abnormal mucosae was found in the biopsies from aboriginal children as compared to biopsies from the controls, yet only one had the typical appearances found in coeliac disease. Six aboriginal children, however, appeared to respond to a gluten‐free diet. In three this intolerance to gluten appeared to be transient, but in the remainder appeared to be more permanent. Further observation is necessary to establish the diagnosis of coeliac disease in these children.Histological assessment and examination with the dissecting microscope complement each other, however, a particular histological grade did not correspond always to a particular dissecting microscope group, but rather to a range.

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