Villous atrophy may have various etiologies. The diagnosis of villous atrop
hy relies on an intestinal biopsy which necessitates a perfect histological
technique to assert the villous atrophy and its degree. The most frequent
etiology is coeliac disease. Villous atrophy regresses with gluten free die
t, The failure of a strict gluten free diet implies to exclude a refractory
sprue thought to be the earliest form of enteropathy associated T cell lym
phoma, The other etiologies of villous atrophy are unusual and could be obs
erved in alpha chain disease, inflammatory and infectious diseases, immune
disorders, and primitive ileal villous atrophy. Other etiologies characteri
ze villous atrophy in children as cow milk allergy and epithelial abnormali
ties.