In the worst-case scenario with celiac disease, your villi can be completely destroyedwhich is called total villous atrophy.
People with this condition are likely to be severely malnourished and may be at risk for lymphoma.
The only way to see if you have villous atrophy is to look directly inside your small intestine.
Illustration by Ellen Lindner for Verywell Health
It’s also possible to swallow a pill containing a camerathis is calledcapsule endoscopy.
Capsule endoscopy only helps visualization of the small bowel but biopsies can not be taken.
Several other conditions, plus some medications and even bacterial overgrowth, can destroy your intestinal villi.
Therefore, it can be tricky to tell the difference between celiac disease and nonceliac enteropathy.
Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, is the most common cause of villous atrophy.
However, not every case of villous atrophy is because of celiac disease.
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