Th. Zawawi et al., ADULT CELIAC-DISEASE - CLINICAL-FEATURES IN PATIENTS SEEN IN WESTERN REGION, SAUDI-ARABIA, Saudi medical journal, 17(1), 1996, pp. 51-55
Objectives: To study the clinical features of coeliac disease in adult
patients. Design: Retrospective study of adult patients who were diag
nosed as having coeliac disease over a period from 1988 to 1994. Setti
ng: King Khalid National Guard Hospital, Jeddah. Subject & Outcome: Si
x patients were diagnosed as having coeliac disease. The presenting fe
atures were mainly extra-intestinal. Osteomalacia was observed in all
patients, followed by anemia and severe liver disease related to coeli
ac disease. Dermatitis herpetiformis was seen in one patient. Response
to gluten free diet (GFD) alone was seen in three patients. The addit
ion of steroids was required in the other three patients due to poor c
linical response to diet alone. No malignancy was observed in follow-u
p period averaging four years. Conclusions: Clinical presentation of c
oeliac disease in adults differs from that of children. The presenting
features were mainly extra-intestinal.