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THE MANAGEMENT OF DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS BY THE GASTROENTEROLOGIST. A SERIES OF CASES
- Source :
- Arquivos de Gastroenterologia, Vol 58, Iss 4, Pp 429-432 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Instituto Brasileiro de Estudos e Pesquisas de Gastroenterologia (IBEPEGE), 2021.
-
Abstract
- ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is considered a skin celiac disease (CD). The individuals can be seen by primary care professionals or by dermatologists that could refer the patient to a gastroenterologist. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the clinical profile of patients diagnosed with DH and referred to a gastroenterologist and evaluate the treatment response. METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients with DH referred to the same gastroenterologist at a private office in Curitiba, Brazil, between January 2010 to December 2019. We included adult patients with a confirmed DH diagnosis. Symptoms, clinical signs, laboratory and histological data, as well as treatment response, were collected. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were studied (60.6% women, mean age at diagnosis 40.8±12.61 years). The median delay for DH diagnosis was four years. Skin involvement was mild in 33.3%, moderate in 18.2%, and severe in 48.5%. The more frequent gastrointestinal complaints were abdominal distension (78.8%), flatulence (75.7%), and gastroesophageal reflux (51.5%). Depression and anxiety were observed in 81.8% and anemia in 51.1%. A higher prevalence of bone disorders was associated with higher age at DH diagnosis (P=0.035). Duodenal biopsy showed changes in all patients. Improvement after treatment only with a gluten-free diet (GFD) plus dapsone was verified in 81.2%. CONCLUSION: Patients with DH referred to a gastroenterologist showed a high frequency of gluten intolerance and systemic complaints. Duodenal histological alterations were found in all the cases. The treatment based on GFD plus dapsone was effective in most patients.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 16784219 and 00042803
- Volume :
- 58
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Arquivos de Gastroenterologia
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.469fdfbdca1349c39d25b42cbd3730a7
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1590/s0004-2803.202100000-78