Overview

• Autoimmune disorder characterized by an intestinal hypersensitivity to gluten, causing chronic intestinal malabsorption
• Triggered by Gliadin
• Common → affects up to 1% of the population
• F>M, Can occur at any age
• Often occurs in patients with other autoimmune illnesses

Making Diagnosis

Clinical Features:

• Diarrhoea → may also get steatorrhoea (pale, greasy, floaty, offensive smelling, difficult to flush stool - due to malabsorption)
• Sudden weight loss
• Bloating
• Abdominal Pain
• Anaemia (Iron-Deficiency) → coeliac disease leads to malabsorption symptoms such as vitamin deficiency
• IgA Deficiency
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis → intensely itchy papulovesicular lesions on the extensor surfaces of the skin (most common on elbows)
  • Dermatitis Herpetiformis
• Family History, Osteopenia/Osteoporosis (Due to malabsorption of Vit D hence Hypocalcaemia), Fatigue, Failure to Thrive (Delayed Puberty)