Morphology of Small Bowel Mucosa in Malignancy

The morphology of the small bowel mucosa was studied in 82 patients with various malignant diseases and in 73 controls. Peroral and surgical biopsies were taken from various levels of the small bowel and studied by light microscopy. Partial villous atrophy was found in 10 and subtotal villous atrophy in 1 of the malignant group; no such changes were found in the control group. Evidence for the existence of a 'cancer enteropathy' is reviewed.