Biposies clear & diagnosed crohns

[minky]

Hi there, I was diagnosed with crohns at the end of October - I had a colonoscopy and the gastr said it was crohns by the appearance of small bowel and part of large bowel however biopsies came back clear - is there anyone else that had this or could there be a high chance that its not crohns and somethign else?

 

[Peaches]

Hmm, mine was confirmed by biopsy so I'm not sure how that works. I guess it *could* be something else? Did you have active ulcers that were visable?

 

[Cookie]

A little puzzling for me too. My initial diagnosis was based only on visual inspection from a colonoscopy. It wasn't until I switched GIs 5 years later that a biopsy was taken to confirm it. IDK, maybe a biopsy can distinguish Crohn's from UC???

 

[minky]

The GI took several pictures and it appeared ulcerated and all of that but she took biopsies and they were all clear and from what I gather she took a good few biopsies. She diagnosed me on a visual thing. I was started on pentasa and took 6 weeks of it and was a lot worse, it gave me very bad acid and gastrtis so I was put off that. I am now on questran - bile salts as this was also reccomended as a treatment for me as this all started when I had my gallbladder removed. I am feelign really good these days and it just entered my head that perhaps I do not have crohns and its a bile acid type things. Dont know but just wanted ot know if others were diagnosed on a visual basis after having clear biopsies? Shadycat - were biopsies not taken during your first colonoscopy?

 

[Crohn's 35]

Even tho they take biopsies, they have to get the exact place or it can be missed and not shown on the report. I have had my gall bladder out ,and have high acid, when I had a scope down the throat I was dx with a hiatus hernia, that can be from years of vomiting and high acid. I take nexium for that and have been fine since. Pentasa is a milder to moderate drug, you could need something different. Take care and rest!

 

[Cookie]

Shadycat - were biopsies not taken during your first colonoscopy?

Not as far as I know. My GI just showed me some picks and said "It looks like you have Crohn's". He never mentioned a biopsy, so I assume none were taken. I developed a fistula some after, so I never doubted the diagnosis. When I switched GIs, the new one did a colonoscopy and took a bunch of biopsies and said that Crohn's was confirmed.

 

[Fog Ducker]

I had a couple of colonoscopies and a couple of sigmoidoscopies all with biopsies. Every time the biopsies said I only had UC. But my GI said its definitly CD due to all the other factors.

Shady, what you were saying about telling the difference with biopsies, iirc, UC supposedly only affects the first layer of tissue, where CD affects all 3.

 

[Tan]

I was diagnosed only off of visual factors as all my biopsies came back clear but I had definite uclers in my small intestine discovered thru a colonoscopy and then when I went for my small bowel study it showed up even more ulcers. He said given my history with bowel infections, my current symptoms and the fact once he put me on steriods I got heaps better Crohns would be the answer. My GI said sometimes the biopsies came back inconclusive but that didn't mean it wasn't Crohns.

 

[RachLG]

I was just diagnosed yesterday after many tests had come back pretty much normal - including biopsies from a colonoscopy that came back normal as well. My GI said that in the earlier stages of Crohn’s (“early stages” even though if Crohn’s is what I have, I’ve had it for almost 2yrs now) a great deal of patients receive test after test that come back “not exactly normal, but not ‘red flag’ abnormal either.” He said what ultimately convinced him that Crohn’s may be what I have is the visual appearance of my small intestine from a capsule endoscopy. Good luck!

 

[minky]

Thanks for the replies, it seems thats its common enough to be diagnosed on the visablilty of the intestine. I am awaiting to see my GI so will see what they say. Thanks

 

[crazycanuck]

Yep I'm a bit late now though but yes I was diagnosed visually as well. Showed me the pics I'm told but I was still stoned from the sedatives so very very vaguely remember him showing me them haha.

 

[Fog Ducker]

^ Thats why the sigmoidoscopies Ive had are fun, I got to watch the whole thing on the tv while it was happening, no sedation! :yfrown:

 

[pb4]

I think that's sometimes why docs can have issues with making a DX right off the bat...the fact that CD can affect the many layers of the intestinal lining, but it may not necessarily always, or for everyone, think it has alot to do with each patients severity maybe...but at least they should be able to tell by the pattern of inflammation, if it's patchy (inflammation with healthy tissues) then it's a dead wringer for CD, if the entire area is inflammed with no healthy tissue in or around it then it's UC.