Video Capsule May Soon Diagnose Celiac Disease

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new device -- video capsule enteroscopy (VCE) -- accurately detects intestinal atrophy in patients suspected to have celiac disease, according to a report in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. The diagnosis of celiac disease currently requires upper GI endoscopy with multiple biopsies to identify the characteristic irregularities in the mucus tissue of the small bowel, the authors explain. GI endoscopy is a procedure in which a tube is inserted into the digestive tract. The tube is equipped with a small camera to visualize abnormal tissues, which can be biopsied or removed.