Clinical symptoms in celiac patients on a gluten-free diet.

Objective: Persistent villous atrophy in patients with celiac disease (CD) on a gluten-free diet (GFD) is reported with increasing frequency. The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible association between persistent damage of the villi and "atypical" gastrointestinal symptoms in CD patients on a GFD.

Material And Methods: Sixty-nine CD patients on a GFD were divided into two groups: Group A included 42 patients (6 M, 36 F, age range 17-62 years) undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) due to the presence of symptoms; Group B included 27 control patients (6 M, 21 F, age range 24-71 years) who were asymptomatic at the time of the study.