Small bowel tissue smear is a laboratory test that checks for disease in a sample of tissue from the small intestine.

Your doctor may order this test if you have signs or symptoms of an infection or other disease of the small intestine. In most cases, this test is only done when a diagnosis was not able to be made from stool and blood tests.

A sample of tissue from the small intestine is removed during a procedure called esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). For more information on this procedure, see EGD.

The sample is sent to a laboratory, where it is sliced, stained, and placed on a microscope slide for examination.

For information on how to prepare for the removal of tissue from your small intestine, see EGD.

For information on how it will feel to have a sample of intestinal tissue removed, see EGD.