The Evolving Role of Mucosal Histology in the Evaluation of Pediatric Functional Dyspepsia: A Review

Abstract

Although not required to establish the diagnosis, endoscopy with mucosal biopsy is commonly performed in the evaluation of children with dyspepsia. Traditionally, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) has been performed in children with abdominal pain to identify pathology or conversely, to “rule-out” organic disease in order to establish a diagnosis of FD. In this review, we discuss the current diagnostic yield of endoscopically-obtained biopsies in identifying disease in children and adolescents with dyspepsia including an expanded discussion of common histologic diagnoses where clinical significance has not been definitively established. In turn, we discuss the transition of endoscopy from a search for disease to a search for biologic contributors to symptom generation, while considering the growing evidence linking non-diagnostic mucosal inflammation to FD, specifically mast cells and eosinophils.