Celiac disease (familial) associated with sarcoidosis. Clinical case and review of the literature
Bianconcini, G.; Mazzali, F.; Candini, R.; Silingardi, M.; Iori, I.
Minerva Medica 85(10): 541-553
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-4806 PMID: 7800197 Document Number: 435094
The authors report a case of a 42 year-old patient, female, already suffering in 1990 from pulmonary sarcoidosis at 0 radiological stage, together with uveitis and relapsing erythema nodosum, with dyspepsia and weight loss which benefited from corticosteroidal therapy, repeatedly applied at the relapses of Erythema Nodosum. This therapy induced clinical recovery and marked weight gain. After 3 years (in 1993), the appearance of chronic diarrhoea, weight loss, oedemas of the lower limbs and altered laboratory findings which suggested malabsorbtive syndrome, made us verify with clinical-instrumental examinations (serum AGA IgA and IgG, Xilose test, perendoscopic jejunal biopsy) the diagnosis of fully clinically expressed adult coeliac disease. The screening of close relatives, showed that the patient's brother, HLA like (HLA A1-B8), was suffering from a less expressive coeliac disease. After a wide review of the literature, authors emphasize particular aspects of both diseases, reporting clinical manifestations, possible morbid linkage and prognostic factors. They underline epidemiological, pathogenetic and genetic/immunological similarity. bound to support a possible non-causal linkage of the diseases, even within the family. The authors think this linkage to be underestimated, because it is not often searched for on identified.