Endoscopic Biopsies and Histopathological Findings in Diagnosing Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders in Dogs and Cats

Table 1

Criteria for histopathological evaluation of the GI lining.

Structure	Classification of lesions
I—epithelium
Size of enterocytes	No lesions (0) to significantly changed (3)
Continuity of structure	No damage (0) to significantly damage (3)
Number and size of goblet cells/100 enterocytes	Normal (0) to significantly changed, large quantity of mucus (3)
Cellular infiltration	None (0) to significant infiltration (3)
II— lamina propria
Cellular infiltration	None (0) to significant infiltration (3)
Fibrosis	None (0) to significant fibrosis (3)
Lymphangiectasia	None (0) to significant lymphangiectasia (3)
III—crypts
Atrophy	None (0) to significant atrophy (3)
Hypertrophy—shape change	None (0) to significant hypertrophy (3)
Proliferation— hyperplasia	None (0) to significant proliferation (3)
Diversification of goblet cells	None (0) to significant diversification (3)
Presence of inflammatory cells	None (0) to significant infiltration (3)
IV—villi
Structure (length, width, and shape)	Normal (0) to significant change in structure (3)