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Published on: December 15, 2011
[Celiac disease and short stature in children]
M Corera Sánchez1, A Villate Carrasco, J Igea García
1Endocrinología Infantil, Hospital Infantil de Cruces, Baracaldo, Vizcaya.
Insights
Celiac disease (CD) can cause short stature, even without digestive issues. This study found a low incidence of 0.56% for CD in children with unexplained short stature.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Context:
- Short stature is a common pediatric concern.
- Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten.
- CD can present solely as growth failure in children.
Purpose:
- To investigate the incidence of celiac disease (CD) in pediatric patients presenting with short stature as the primary or only symptom.
- To assess the diagnostic yield of serological screening followed by intestinal biopsy in this specific population.
Summary:
- A study of 178 children with short stature and no gastrointestinal symptoms was conducted.
- Serum IgA antigliadin antibodies were tested, with ten showing positive results.
- Only one child was diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) via biopsy, revealing subtotal villus atrophy, resulting in an incidence of approximately 0.56%.
Impact:
- This research indicates a lower incidence of celiac disease (CD) in children with short stature than previously reported.
- Highlights the importance of considering CD in the differential diagnosis of short stature, even in the absence of overt gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Suggests that current screening protocols may need re-evaluation for this specific pediatric cohort.
Abstract:
Celiac disease (CD) is a known cause of short stature and sometimes, this is its only symptom. The aim of this work was to determine the incidence of CD in children with short stature. We studied 178 infants with short stature and with no gastrointestinal symptoms. Serum IgA antigliadin antibodies were determined in all of them. We found a pathological titer in ten of these patients. Peroral intestinal biopsy was performed on these children, with nine showing no alterations and only one having subtotal villus atrophy that was compatible with CD. Therefore, the incidence of CD in this population is about 0.56%, which is much lower than the incidence shown by other authors.
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