Clinical Outcome of Patients with Raised Intraepithelial Lymphocytes with Normal Villous Architecture on Duodenal Biopsy.

INTRODUCTION: The finding of a raised intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) count with normal villous architecture is of sufficient clinical importance to be reported in routine duodenal biopsies.

AIM: To study the clinical and demographic data of patients with isolated increased IELs on duodenal biopsy.

METHODS: A single-tertiary-centre retrospective study was carried out with a review of medical records of patients with increased IELs. Patients from 2012 to 2014, >18 years with at least one biopsy from the second part of the duodenum with increased IELs; defined as >25 IELs/100 enterocytes, with preserved villous architecture were identified from our histopathology database with exclusion of patients with coeliac disease (CD).Clinical and demographic data were recorded following a chart review. CD was diagnosed by the attending physician based on the Physician Global Assessment. Data was compared between groups using a Student t test and ORs were calculated as appropriate. Statistical significance was set a priori at p < 0.05.

RESULTS: Over 24 months, 6,244 patients were found to have duodenal biopsies and 114 (1.8%) had isolated increased IELs. Of the patients with increased IELs, the mean age was 50 years and 34 (30%) were male. Follow-up was available in 75 (65%) of these and CD was subsequently diagnosed in 32% (n = 24). CD was associated with the female gender (22 out of 24 vs. 39 out of 51, OR 7.5, older age 55 vs. 41 years, p < 0.04), and higher IEL count with an IEL of >40 in 11 out of 24 (46%) with CD vs. 12 out of 51 (24%) without CD, p = 0.0006.

CONCLUSION: It is a non-specific but important finding, as it can have clinical implications.