[Lactose and gluten intolerance: which to suscept?]

Lactose intolerance affects millions of people world-wide and should be suspected specially when evaluating gastrointestinal symptoms in ethnic populations in which it is prevalent. Fortunately, once a diagnosis is made, management is fairly straightforward. The authors discuss symptoms and methods of detection and offer their recommendations for helping patients with this common disorder. Coeliac disease is the end result of 3 processes that culminate in intestinal damage: genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and immunological based inflammation. Epidemiological studies based on serologic tests suggest that the prevalence of coeliac disease has been significantly underestimated. The classic sprue syndrome of steatorrhea and malnutrition may be less common than more subtle and often monosymptomatic presentations of the disease. The authors discuss the diagnostic criteria and the clinical utility of serologic tests.