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>Laura (my daughter) is doing well following the diet, after 3 biopsies
>(one to test if the intestine was bad, one after eliminating gluten from
>the diet, and one more after a gluten challenge).
>It's about a year since she was
>diagnosed definitively.  In the U.S., how many biopsies do they do before
>making a definitive diagnosis?

My son was diagnosed at 20 mths, myself 4 mths later at 33 yrs old.  He was
biopsied once and results of GF diet were very evident therefore no more
biopsies.  Myself a non-typical celiac had biopsy to diagnose and one 6 mths
later to determine effect of GF diet.  I was healing up fine, but not
complete at that point.

>How many gluten challenges followed by posterior biopsies?

No challenges have been ordered since we are both doing well on the diet and
have no other complaints, except for occassional accidental ingestion of
gluten.

Once they have made the definitive diagnosis, how many blood tests to see if
the patient is ingesting gluten?
We have never had a blood test for antibodies, I get my iron checked every
year routinely since I suffered from anemia prior to diagnosis and we used
to check it regularly then.(noone picked up on the fact I may be celiac).

This testing was done in Alberta, Canada.  Where my sons gastro and mine do
not believe a gluten challenge is necessary once a definitive biopsy
diagnosis is done and comes back positive.  My son goes for an annual with
the gastro but my gastro said to come back if I had any problems or questions.

Hope some of the info is of help.

Karen, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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