Celiac disease presentation in a tertiary referral centre in India: current scenario.

Background: Nondiarrheal celiac disease (NDCD) is being increasingly reported but data from India is limited.

Aim: We undertook this study to compare the clinical spectrum of NDCD with that of diarrheal/classical celiac disease (CCD).

Method: This facility-based retrospective observational study included consecutive patients diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) (as per modified ESPGHAN criteria) from October 2009 to August 2011.

Results: A total of 381 patients were diagnosed with CD during the study period. NDCD was present in 192 (51.8 %). NDCD had higher mean age at presentation (5.8 ± 2.8 vs. 6.9 ± 2.9 years respectively; p = 0.003) and longer duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis (2.9 ± 1.7 years vs. 3.6 ± 2.2 years; p = 0.02) as compared to CCD. In the NDCD group, the most frequent gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were recurrent abdominal pain [122 (63.5 %)] and abdominal distension [102 (53.1 %)] followed by constipation [48 (25 %)], vomiting [76 (39.6 %)] and recurrent oral ulcers [89 (46.4 %)]. Vomiting and constipation were more frequently seen in NDCD as compared to CCD (p < 0.001 in both). Commonly enumerated extraintestinal manifestations in NDCD included failure to thrive [109 (56.8 %)], isolated short stature [36 (18.8 %)], persistent anemia [83 (43.2 %)] and hepatomegaly/splenomegaly or both [56 (29.2 %)]. Associated comorbidities included autoimmune thyroiditis [11 (5.7 %)], type 1 diabetes mellitus [8 (4.2 %)], bronchial asthma [23 (11.9 %)], idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis [4 (2.1 %)], Down's syndrome [3 (1.6 %)], alopecia areata [6 (3.1 %)], polyarthritis [2 (1.0 %)], dermatitis herpetiformis [6 (3.1 %)] and chronic liver disease [6 (3.1 %)]. The number of patients with a Marsh score IIIb and above of duodenal biopsy was significantly more in the CCD group (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: NDCD is not uncommon in India. Long-term follow up is needed to evaluate the impact of the disease and of treatment in these children.