Objective: To compare the adequacy for histological diagnosis and morphometric analysis of small intestinal biopsies obtained by either endoscopic forceps or a capsule technique.
Methodology: Small intestinal biopsies from 176 children were reviewed, 92 obtained by endoscopy and 84 by capsule.
Results: The adequacy for making a histological diagnosis was 96 and 81% for endoscopic and capsule biopsies, respectively, and for morphometric analysis it was 86 and 71%. There were more tissue specimens from children who had endoscopic compared with capsule biopsies (2.3 vs 1.8 specimens per patient).
Conclusions: Endoscopic biopsies provide better specimens for histological diagnosis and endoscopy has the advantage of allowing macroscopic assessment of the upper gastrointestinal tract which can be of value in recognizing unexpected pathology and in identifying patchy mucosal changes.