Unawareness of gastrointestinal symptomatology in adult coeliac patients with unexplained iron-deficiency anaemia presentation

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Apr 1;23(7):915-21. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.02841.x.

Abstract

Background: Most adults with coeliac disease have a subclinical form of the disease and iron-deficiency anaemia may be the sole presenting symptom.

Aim: To evaluate demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics of adult coeliac disease patients presenting with iron-deficiency anaemia.

Patients: A total of 108 iron-deficiency anaemia patients in whom coeliac disease has been diagnosed were studied. As a control group 108 non-coeliac iron-deficiency anaemia patients, comparable for sex and age, were studied.

Results: Of the 108 coeliac disease patients, 95 (88%) were female (mean age 34 years, range 19-72) and 13 (12%) were male (mean age 33 years, range 15-65). The median duration of iron-deficiency anaemia before diagnosis was 66 months in coeliac disease patients and 14 months in the iron-deficiency anaemia control group (P = 0.0001). The occurrence of at least one gastrointestinal symptom, not spontaneously reported, was observed in 92 (85%) patients with coeliac disease and in 67 (62%) patients in the control group (P = 0.001). The concomitant presence of diarrhoea, abdominal pain and abdominal bloating was detected in 14% patients with coeliac disease with respect to 3% in the control group (P = 0.005).

Conclusions: The vast majority of coeliac disease patients with iron-deficiency anaemia presentation were unaware of the gastrointestinal symptoms and this relationship is useful for diet compliance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / physiopathology
  • Abdominal Pain / etiology
  • Administration, Oral
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / drug therapy
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / etiology*
  • Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / physiopathology
  • Celiac Disease / complications*
  • Celiac Disease / pathology
  • Celiac Disease / physiopathology
  • Diarrhea / etiology
  • Duodenum / pathology
  • Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / methods
  • Female
  • Helicobacter Infections / complications
  • Helicobacter pylori
  • Hemoglobins / analysis
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • Iron / administration & dosage
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pyloric Antrum / pathology

Substances

  • Hemoglobins
  • Iron