MEDizzy - A 49-year-old woman is being investigated for chronic

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Diagnosis of GI Disorders

A 49-year-old woman is being investigated for chronic diarrhea and weight loss. Malabsorption is suspected. Which of the following investigations is most likely to make a definitive diagnosis?

Explanation(A) A small bowel mucosal biopsy will assist in determining the cause of malabsorption such as celiac disease. The osmotic gap is a characteristic of osmotic diarrhea in particular and useful in the diagnosis of malabsorption. Stool fat, D-xylose testing, and Schilling tests help establish the diagnosis of malabsorption, but not the etiology. The most common cause of such diffuse malabsorption, celiac disease, has a characteristic biopsy pattern with short or absent villi. Confirmation of the disease requires response to a gluten-free diet.