A 30-Year-Old Man Comes to the Office Due to a 4-Month

A 30-year-old man comes to the office due to a 4-month history of fatigue that is worse at the end of the day.  The patient has also had abdominal bloating and intermittent loose stools after meals.  His appetite is normal, and he has had no weight loss.  Vital signs are normal.  Examination shows pale mucosa.  The abdomen is mildly distended and tympanic; there is no tenderness or organomegaly.  Rectal examination reveals brown stool that is negative for fecal occult blood.  Laboratory results are as follows: C-reactive protein level is normal.  Which of the following pathologic gastrointestinal tract findings is most likely to be present in this patient?

A) Atrophic mucosa with loss of villi of the small intestine
B) Autoimmune destruction of gastric parietal cells
C) Chronic inflammation within the colonic mucosa and submucosa
D) Giardia trophozoites lining the small intestinal mucosa
E) Subepithelial collagen deposition in the colon

Correct Answer:

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