Gluten enteropathy in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis

What is gluten enteropathy?

Gluten enteropathy, commonly called celiac disease, affects most children and adults with dermatitis herpetiform It is characterized by villi of the small intestine. atrophy. This means that, instead of being very complicated, the lining of the intestines is smooth and flattened. The result is poor or very poor absorption of nutrients. The patient may feel well or develop the following symptoms:

• Tiredness (80%)
• Abdominal discomfort and bloating (75%)
• Weight loss (30%)
• Constipation (30%) or diarrhea (50%)
• Pale stool floating on the surface of the toilet bowl.
• Bone fractures due to osteoporosis.

Other characteristics of gluten enteropathy.

The range of conditions less commonly induced by gluten also includes:

• Neurological problems including ataxia (loss of balance), polyneuropathy, epilepsy
• Heart problems including pericarditis and cardiomyopathy
• Fine tooth enamel
• Recurrent abortions (spontaneous abortion)
• Fatty liver resulting in abnormal liver function.

• Aphthous ulcers and angular cheilitis

• Dry Skin
• Nail and hair abnormalities.

Patients with gluten enteropathy or celiac disease sometimes suffer from other autoimmune diseases possibly associated with gluten intolerance. These include insulin–dependent diabetes mellitus, thyroiditis, autoimmune hepatitisSjögren syndrome, Addison's disease, atrophic gastritis, alopecia areata, vitiligo and urticaria.

They may also be affected by conditions that are not related to gluten intolerance. These include IgA deficiency, psoriasis, Down syndrome and primary bile cirrhosis.

Not Hodgkin lymphoma, which affects the intestines or any part of the body, is a serious complication of gluten enteropathy but fortunately, it is rare and affects less than 1% of patients.

For more information about testing and treatment, see DermNet's page on dermatitis herpetiformis.