Dissecting microscope appearance of small bowel mucosa in children.

The technique of small bowel biopsy is now well established in childhood, but reports have largely concentrated on the histological appearances and enzyme activity of the biopsied mucosa (Anderson and Townley, 1962; Burke, Kerry, and Anderson, 1965; Kerpel-Fronius, Jani, and Fekete, 1966; Kuitunen, 1966; Launiala, Kuitunen, and Visakorpi, 1966; Nordio, Lamedica, Berio, and Vignola, 1966; Townley, Khaw, and Shwachman, 1965). While the value of examination of the biopsied mucosa with the dissecting microscope has been demonstrated in adult patients, few paediatric papers have stressed its value (Burman, 1965; Sheldon and Tempany, 1966; Shmerling, 1965; Stanfield, Hutt, and Tunnicliffe, 1965). The purpose of this paper is to record the dissecting microscope appearances of 36 duodenal or jejunal biopsies from Australian children with the malabsorption syndrome or chronic diarrhoea.