Celiac disease and obstetrical-gynecological contribution.

Celiac disease (CD) shows an increased prevalence in female, particularly during the fertile period. Celiac disease should be researched in infertility, spontaneous and recurrent abortions, delayed menarche, amenorrhea, early menopause, and children with low birth-weight. Celiac disease is still little considered during the evaluation of infertility.

Mood disorders and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

The association between gluten related disorders and psychiatric diseases has been firmly demonstrated. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a syndrome diagnosed in patients responsive to gluten-free diet after ruling out celiac disease and wheat allergy. The pathogenesis of neuro-psychiatric disorders in NCGS is unclear.

Association between celiac disease and chronic hepatitis C.

Celiac disease is characterized by a gluten-induced damage of the small bowel in sensitive individuals that may cause malabsorption. Non-intestinal inflammatory diseases may trigger immunologic gluten intolerance in susceptible people and the HCV virus may be considered as a suitable candidate. Interferon therapy could precipitate symptom onset in subjects with silent celiac disease.

Neurological disorders and celiac disease.

Celiac disease (CD) determines neurologic manifestations in 10% of all CD patients. We describe the most common clinical manifestations as cerebellar ataxia, gluten encephalopathy, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathies, sensorineural hearing loss, epilepsy, headache, depression, cognitive deficiencies and other less described clinical conditions. Our aim is to perform, as more as possible, a review about the most recent update on the topics in international literature.

Neurological disorders and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Extraintestinal manifestations occur in about one-third of patients living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may precede the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms by many years. Neurologic disorders associated with IBD are not frequent, being reported in 3% of patients, but they often represent an important cause of morbidity and a relevant diagnostic issue. In addition, the increasing use of immunosuppressant and biological therapies for IBD may also play a pivotal role in the development of neurological disorders of different type and pathogenesis.

Cerebral arterial thrombosis in ulcerative colitis.

Thrombosis, mainly venous, is a rare and well-recognized extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We describe a 25-year-old Caucasian man affected by ulcerative colitis and sclerosing cholangitis with an episode of right middle cerebral arterial thrombosis resolved by intraarterial thrombolysis. We perform a brief review of the International Literature.

Prevalence and causes of abnormal liver function in patients with coeliac disease.

Background & Aims: Coeliac disease patients frequently display mild elevation of liver enzymes and this abnormality usually normalizes after gluten-free diet. To investigate the cause and prevalence of altered liver function tests in coeliac patients, basally and after 1 year of gluten-free diet.

Patients And Methods: Data from 245 untreated CD patients (196 women and 49 men, age range 15-80 years) were retrospectively analysed and the liver function tests before and after diet, as well as associated liver pathologies, were assessed.

Papillary thyroid cancer and ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is associated with several malignancies. Here we report one such association, a rare one, with papillary thyroid carcinoma, and discuss the possible risk factors of such an association.

Successful twin pregnancy in a patient with ulcerative colitis using azathoprine during conception.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently affects young patients of childbearing age. Treatments for inflammatory bowel disease include immunosuppressive, cytotoxic and surgical therapies. Azathioprine is frequently used to treat patients with steroid dependent IBD.

Is hyperhomocysteinemia relevant in patients with celiac disease?

Aim: To investigate whether this might be related to the presence of hyperhomocysteinemia.

Methods: From January 1998 to December 2008, we evaluated the presence of hyperhomocysteinemia in a series of 165 adult celiac disease (CD) patients (138 females and 27 males, mean age 43 years).

Results: Hyperhomocysteinemia was evident in 32 patients (19.

Ultrasonographic assessment of colonic wall in moderate-severe ulcerative colitis: comparison with endoscopic findings.

Background: Bowel ultrasound has been shown to be a useful tool to evaluate patients with inflammatory bowel disease, especially Crohn's disease. However, such data are still scarce in ulcerative colitis patients.

Aims: To establish the value of bowel ultrasound in moderate to severe ulcerative colitis patients, and compare these data with endoscopic findings.

Pulmonary diseases associated with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Among the extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases, those involving the lung are relatively rare. However, there is a wide array of such manifestations, spanning from drug-related pathologies to airway disease, fistulas, granulomatous diseases, autoimmune and thromboembolic disorders. Although infrequent, people dealing with inflammatory bowel diseases must be aware of these conditions, sometimes life-threatening, to avoid further impairment of the health status of the patients and to alleviate their symptoms by prompt recognition and treatment.

The prevalence of hyper- and hypothyroidism in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background: The association between ulcerative colitis and thyroid disorders has been previously reported. However, most reports consist of single case description, and a systematic assessment of this relationship has only sporadically been investigated.

Aims: To study a cohort of patients with ulcerative colitis to establish the prevalence of hyper- and hypothyroidism.

Gastric metastasis by lung small cell carcinoma.

Metastatic tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are rare. We describe a case of gastric metastasis due to primary lung cancer, revealed by an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE). Haematogenous metastases to the stomach are a rare event.