Histopathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Abstract

Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) biopsies are among the most frequent biopsies for a variety of reasons. For instance, upper gastrointestinal biopsies from oesophagus, stomach and duodenum are very frequent in routine practice for assessment of ‘Barrett’s oesophagus’, ‘Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis’ and ‘celiac disease’ among others. Likewise colonoscopic biopsies are also exceedingly common for suspected colitis due to a variety of reasons in particular ‘inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)’. Various types of large bowel polyps also constitute a bulk of lower gastrointestinal biopsies by virtue of their common occurrence. In this chapter we have tried to cover all salient light microscopic features along with utility of special and immunohistochemical stains where necessary to meet daily diagnostic challenges.