Which procedure yields full-thickness GI tissue for assessment?

Which procedure yields full-thickness GI tissue for assessment?

• A. Surgical (laparotomy)
• B. Upper endoscopy
• C. Colonoscopy
• D. Capsule endoscopy

Answer: (A)

Full-thickness tissue means including all layers of the gut wall: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria, and serosa. To obtain a specimen that covers every layer, you need direct surgical access to the gut, which is provided by a surgical approach such as laparotomy (or laparoscopic surgery). Endoscopic procedures—upper endoscopy and colonoscopy—sample tissue by taking mucosal (and sometimes shallow submucosal) biopsies, which do not capture the full wall. Capsule endoscopy is just imaging and cannot obtain tissue at all. So, only the surgical approach can yield a true full-thickness GI tissue sample for assessment.

Full-thickness tissue means including all layers of the gut wall: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria, and serosa. To obtain a specimen that covers every layer, you need direct surgical access to the gut, which is provided by a surgical approach such as laparotomy (or laparoscopic surgery). Endoscopic procedures—upper endoscopy and colonoscopy—sample tissue by taking mucosal (and sometimes shallow submucosal) biopsies, which do not capture the full wall. Capsule endoscopy is just imaging and cannot obtain tissue at all. So, only the surgical approach can yield a true full-thickness GI tissue sample for assessment.