Celiac Disease

Description

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic autoimmune enteropathy, triggered by gluten intake. It currently presents a consistent pattern in the increase of its incidence and has an overall prevalence of 1.4%. CD typically manifests in the small intestine, but a systemic presentation is now recognized in about half of celiac patients and has been associated with a broad spectrum of extraintestinal manifestations and various disorders oral, hematological, neurological, neuropsychiatric, reproductive, hepatic, dermatological, endocrine, and bone. It is currently correlated to the increase in pathologies, such as type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid diseases, osteoporosis, among others. The diagnosis of CD consists of the combination of 3 elements: clinical findings, serological evaluation, and histology. With duodenal biopsy constituting its gold-standard. As for the exact cause of CD, it is currently unknown, but the increase in studies and new discoveries on the pathophysiology of CD has allowed the idealization of new therapies complementary to a gluten free diet. However, the only therapeutic option currently available is a gluten-free diet.