We actually don’t know why some people have damaged villi without symptoms. It’s possibly because the extent of the damaged villi is small and limited to the area of the biopsies, and the rest of the intestine (there are seven yards of it!) is compensating for the damaged area.
(Updated .)Keyword: damage
What else can cause villus atrophy in the small intestine other than celiac disease?
There are many causes for villus atrophy, the most common being immune deficiencies, food allergies and Giardia infections. In addition, Crohn’s disease is known to be often associated with low positive tTG and the changes in the duodenal biopsies can indeed be similar. Causes of Villous Atrophy Other Than Celiac Disease Giardiasis Collagenous sprue Common-variable immunodeficiency… Read more »
(Updated .)