What is Lymphocytic Duodenitis?
Lymphocytic duodenitis is an inflammatory disorder, which occurs due to excess of the lymphocytes (a kind of white blood cell) in the lining of the duodenum leading to slight swelling and irritation.
How is Lymphocytic Duodenitis diagnosed?
It is usually detected when using an upper endoscopy, when a tiny biopsy (tissue sample) taken of the duodenum in a previous examination shows that the number of lymphocytes goes above normal under a microscope.
Can Lymphocytic Duodenitis be mistaken for celiac disease?
Yes. Early or mild celiac is similar, since similar duodenal lymphocytosis may manifest, although not all lymphocytic duodenitis progresses to full-scale celiac disease. Further blood tests and response to gluten-free diet are useful to identify them.
Does diet help manage Lymphocytic Duodenitis?
Often, yes. A gluten-free diet or other elimination diet, based on the sensitivities of a particular patient to different foods, can help diminish the level of inflammation and help eliminate the symptomatology.
How quickly do symptoms improve with treatment?
There are those whose improvement can be observed a few weeks into the dieting change or taking some medications, but full recuperation of the duodenal lining may take time and necessitate follow-up diagnosis.