Assessment of the Initial Clinical Presentations of Patients with Celiac Disease

Background: The prevalence of celiac disease, which is gastrointestinal enteropathy, is increasing. This study aimed to assess the clinical presentations of celiac disease in children. Methods: The current research is a descriptive-cross-sectional study conducted on ۲۰۰ children with celiac disease who presented to the gastroenterology clinic of Ghaem Hospital. All patients with celiac disease, presented between ۲۰۱۶ and ۲۰۲۱ were included. For all patients, a checklist including demographic information such as age, sex, weight, weight Z score, height, height Z score, the initial clinical presentations leading to the diagnosis, laboratory examinations including CBC, Anti-TTG IgA, as well as pathological findings including biopsy, and Marsh score were recorded. Subsequently, the findings were described using the frequency table. Results: Out of ۲۰۰ children examined, ۶۵.۵% were girls, and ۳۴.۵% were boys. The average age of the patients was ۷.۷۰±۳.۷۱ years. The most common clinical presentations were: growth failure (۳۸.۵%), diabetes (۲۱%), and abdominal pain (۱۵.۵%). The average Anti TTG (IgA) level of the patients in the study was ۲۰۲.۰۳, with a standard deviation of ۱۴۶.۰۵. Also, the weight z score for the age of the studied subjects varied between ۶۴ and ۱۴۷, and its average was ۲.۰۶ with a standard deviation of ۱۰.۸۵. The height Z score for age ranged between ۶ and ۶.۷, with the average was ۰.۸۷, and a standard deviation of ۱.۶۳. Conclusion: In the current study, growth failure was the most common clinical presentation. As children with celiac disease do not always have the typical presentations such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, steatorrhea, and bloating, it is recommended that the atypical presentations be also noted, particularly growth failure.

کلیدواژه ها:

Celiac disease ، Growth failure ، Children