Scanning electron microscopy of histological relapse after gluten-challenge in coeliac disease.

The steps of the morphological relapse occurring during gluten-challenge in coeliac children were for the first time investigated by scanning electron microscopy and compared with the morphological changes observed in untreated and treated coeliac patients, in pathological and normal controls. Some peculiar morphological changes, not reported up to now, were observed in treated and relapsed coeliac patients. No relationship was found among the degrees of mucosal atrophy observed by SEM and the duration of the challenge performed by an uncontrolled ingestion of gluten.