Last update:
   01-Dec-2010
 

Arch Hellen Med, 27(6), November-December 2010, 891-896

REVIEW

The celiac iceberg. What textbooks do not clarify (and beyond)

A.K. CHARIDIMOU,1 S. LOIZOU,2 K. TRIANTAFYLLOU3
1Institute of Neurology and The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, University College London, UK
2Formerly Rheumatology Research Laboratories, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
3Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit, Second Department of Internal Medicine- Propedeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece

Celiac disease was formerly considered to be a relatively rare malabsorption syndrome of childhood, whereas now is recognized as being a very common lifelong disorder that can present at any age. Although diagnosis is becoming more and more frequent, celiac disease is missed in most affected people. This review reassesses critical clinical and diagnostic aspects of celiac disease and, in a comparison with the current knowledge provided by leading internal medicine textbooks, illuminates the background to the widespread underdiagnosis of the disease.

Key words: Celiac disease, Gluten, Innate immunity, Tissue transglutaminase.

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