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Celiac disease is highly prevalent in lymphocytic colitis
C A Matteoni1, J R Goldblum, N Wang
1Department of Gastroenterology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio, USA.
Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology
|March 14, 2001
Summary
Celiac disease is common in patients with lymphocytic colitis, occurring in 15% of cases. Early celiac disease detection is crucial for all lymphocytic colitis patients, especially those with persistent diarrhea.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Celiac disease is frequently observed in collagenous colitis patients.
- Limited data exists on celiac disease prevalence in lymphocytic colitis.
- Microscopic colitis encompasses both collagenous and lymphocytic subtypes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To ascertain the prevalence of celiac disease in patients diagnosed with microscopic colitis.
- To compare celiac disease frequency between lymphocytic and collagenous colitis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pathology registry data from 1987-1999.
- Analysis of medical records for small bowel biopsies and/or celiac serology in 113 microscopic colitis patients.
- Detailed examination of 46 patients with confirmed microscopic colitis.
Main Results:
- Celiac disease was identified in 4 out of 27 patients (15%) with lymphocytic colitis.
- No cases of celiac disease were found in the 19 patients with collagenous colitis.
- The prevalence of celiac disease in lymphocytic colitis was significantly higher than the general U.S. population (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- There is a high frequency of celiac disease in patients diagnosed with lymphocytic colitis.
- Celiac disease should be considered and ruled out in all lymphocytic colitis patients.
- Early diagnosis and management of celiac disease are essential, particularly in cases of refractory diarrhea.