Extraintestinal Manifestations Associated with Celiac Disease

INTRODUCTION: Celiac disease (CD) can be affected almost all organs of the body, including the nervous system, liver, skin, reproductive and musculoskeletal systems. In this study, it is aimed to determine the prevalence of extra-intestinal manifestations (EIMs) in adult celiac patients and to investigate the factors affecting the development of EIMs.
METHODS: The study included 230 celiac patients who were diagnosed and followed-up in our clinics between 2015-2019. The demographic and anthropometric characteristics, initial admission complaints, disease duration and dietary compliance of the patients were documented. All EIMs that accompanied the celiac disease were recorded, and their relationship with risk factors was analyzed.
RESULTS: The age range of the patients was 18-72 years, and the mean age was 33,4±10,6 years. One hundred seventy two (74.8%) patients were female and disease follow-up was 4,8±3,5 years. The number of patients with accompanying EIMs was 202 (87.8%). Osteoporosis/osteopenia was found in 146(63,5%) patients, oral involvement in 116(50,4%) patients, arthritis/arthralgia in 96(41,7%) patients as the most common comorbidities. It was determined that, there was a significant relationship between EIM and body mass index. Although the EIMs development was less in patients who had strict diet; however, this was not statistically significant.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The majority of adult celiac patients were found to be accompanied by EIMs. The diagnosis is delayed due to various clinical presentations. Lack of delay in diagnosis of celiac disease and consequently reduced gluten exposure seem to be the only factor in preventing some EIMs.