UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL MOTOR ABNORMALITIES IN CHILDREN WITH ACTIVE CELIAC-DISEASE

Although from the clinical point of view a GI motor disorder can be su spected in celiac disease, objective evidence for this is still lackin g. We therefore conducted a study on children with active celiac disea se to detect possible GI motor abnormalities in this disease. Fourteen children (age range, 1-13 years) were studied; they underwent fasting and fed manometric recordings in the gastroduodenojejunal area. Four patients were restudied after a 6-month gluten-free diet. Data were co mpared with those obtained in eight control children. As compared with controls, celiac disease patients showed a shorter duration of activi ty fronts (p < 0.01) and a significant (p < 0.01) reduction of the pos tprandial antral motility index; furthermore, >90% of the patients dis played marked fasting and/or fed motor abnormalities, suggesting a neu ropathic disorder. Interestingly, gut dysmotilities disappeared in the four subjects reassessed after the gluten-free diet. It is concluded that celiac disease frequently affects the motor behavior of the gut a nd that its effects may be reversed by appropriate diet.