can someone please explain the following term to me in plain English and tell me what it means to the non medical community.

I would like a break down of each term if you can or tell me some sites in which I can learn more about this



moderate diffuse enteritis with Villous Atrophy

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Originally posted by Shawn:
I would like a break down of each term if you can or tell me some sites in which I can learn more about this

moderate diffuse enteritis with Villous Atrophy

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moderate= not a lot and not a little, in between

Diffuse= scattered

enteritis= intestinal inflammation often from bacteria or virus

Villous Atrophy=Abnormality of the small intestinal mucosa with crypt hyperplasia, resulting in flattening of the mucosa and the appearance of atrophy of villi; clinically seen in malabsorption syndromes such as sprue.
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Basically this means moderate scattered infection or inflammation (from either bacteria or virus or other problems) of the intestine with some deformity of the cells lining the walls (mucosa).

Was there some bowel illness for a little while?

Dr Sid can probably give a much more specific answer about what it is and how it is caused.

[This message was edited by Sherasi on 08-21-03 at 08:19 PM.]

villi are finger-like shapes in the lining of the intestine, through which food is digested. Atrophy means, basically, shrinkage -- the opposite of growth. It can be seen with "crypt hyperplasia" (hyperplasia is also the opposite of atrophy -- it means extra growth) but the two don't necessarily go hand in hand. Villous atrophy can be seen in various diseases of the intestine, and in and of itself is not a specific diagnosis. It's really more the effect of a condition, than a cause of one. It means something is going on but doesn't specify what. In toto, the terms mean there's some inflammation of the intestine seen throughout the tissues that were examined. Such findings could be due to several chronic illnesses, as well as some acute, self-limited ones.

Thank you both -

Sherasi- yes there was "bowel illness", vommitting and diahrrea for several days.


is this description of something fatal? or is the source that caused this more likely fatal?
Is this treatable? If so, how? Maybe such as treated with anitbiotics and fluids?

The description is really non-specific and one can't conclude from it what might have been going on elsewhere, nor what treatment it may or may not have needed. It could simply have been the result of other things going on, or could have been part of the problem. There's not enough info to say.