Celiac Disease aka Celiac Sprue - m/c malabsorption syndrome, it is gluten enteropathy

• Digestive ds that damages SI and decreases absorption
• Essentially have an allergy to gluten (protein in wheat, rye, barley)
• When they eat it, their immune system damages SI
• Starts in jejunum
• Immune system attaches villi (velvety) and leaves behind bowel wall that is flat with no villli - wall is featureless or moonfaced
• No villi = no absorption - malnourished, regardless of quanity of food eaten
• Gold standard for dx is endoscopy w/ biopsy
• Unlike crohn's , no hole developes through the mucosa
• They have eosinophelia (sign of hypersensitivity rxn)
• Signs and symptoms
• Recurring abdominal bloating and pain
• Tough to dx because symptoms look like other ds of GI
• Good test is blood test to see if they have antibodies to gluten - 3 of them
• Screening is not a bad idea
• They screen in Italy - dx comes 2-3 weeks after symptoms start
• In US dx comes > 10 yrs after symptoms
• Tx
• Gluten free diet - can be difficult

Category: Gastroenterology Notes , Medicine Notes