Clinical features of coeliac disease today

Coeliac disease is an inflammatory disorder of the small intestine induced by dietary gluten. This frequently results in malabsorption of a range of important nutrients including iron, folic acid, calcium and fat-soluble vitamins. Coeliac disease in now considered to be a common disorder, possibly affecting 1:300 of the general population. Many patients present in adulthood, have minimal symptoms, and gastrointestinal manifestations are frequently absent. The diagnosis and screening for coeliac disease has been dramatically facilitated by testing for endomysial autoantibodies, although biopsy and demonstration of a characteristic histological lesion remains the definitive diagnostic investigation. Treatment with a gluten-free diet is effective but requires good patient compliance and monitoring to succeed.