Which statement is true regarding food-responsive enteropathy?

Which statement is true regarding food-responsive enteropathy?

• A. It responds to dietary modification
• B. It is diagnosed by biopsy only
• C. It requires surgery
• D. It is never responsive to diet

Answer: (A)

Food-responsive enteropathy is defined by a positive response to dietary modification. The key idea is that changing the diet—such as using a novel-protein or hydrolyzed-protein diet—leads to improvement in GI signs, which both confirms the dietary trigger and guides treatment. Biopsy may show inflammation, but it cannot establish FRE on its own, since the diagnosis hinges on clinical improvement with diet rather than histology. Surgery isn’t needed for FRE, and saying it is never responsive to diet contradicts the very defining feature of the condition. If improvement occurs with diet, that supports the diagnosis and directs long-term dietary management.

Food-responsive enteropathy is defined by a positive response to dietary modification. The key idea is that changing the diet—such as using a novel-protein or hydrolyzed-protein diet—leads to improvement in GI signs, which both confirms the dietary trigger and guides treatment. Biopsy may show inflammation, but it cannot establish FRE on its own, since the diagnosis hinges on clinical improvement with diet rather than histology. Surgery isn’t needed for FRE, and saying it is never responsive to diet contradicts the very defining feature of the condition. If improvement occurs with diet, that supports the diagnosis and directs long-term dietary management.