Small‐Bowel Adaptation: A Case of Morphological Changes Induced by Teduglutide in Short‐Bowel Syndrome With Intestinal Failure

Abstract

Teduglutide (TED) reduces the need for parenteral support (PS) in patients with short‐bowel syndrome with intestinal failure (SBS‐IF). It is a glucagon‐like peptide‐2 analog that improves absorption, induces the expansion of the absorptive epithelium in the small intestine, and may be used in patients with SBS‐IF after a 6‐ to 12‐month adaptation period, if PS is always necessary. We described the functional and morphological effect of TED in a 40‐year‐old female patient with SBS‐IF due to Crohn's disease who underwent terminal jejunostomy after 12 months of drug exposition. Marked hypertrophy of the villi was detected by endoscopic capsule and confirmed by histological measurements. This is the first publication demonstrating an increase in intestinal absorption in an SBS‐IF patient treated with TED because of a morphological adaptation of the small bowel, with hyperplasia confirmed by capsule endoscopy and histology. The capsule endoscopy, a noninvasive exploration of the gut, could be evaluated to monitor the real efficacy of treatments with growth factors in SBS patients.