Persistent Skin Symptoms after Diagnosis and on a Long-term Gluten-free Diet in Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Dermatitis herpetiformis is a cutaneous manifestation of coeliac disease treated with a gluten-free diet. However, the itching and blistering rash alleviates slowly after gluten withdrawal and occasionally persists despite a long-term gluten-free diet. This study investigated the prevalence and fact...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Camilla Pasternack (Author), Kaisa Hervonen (Author), Eriika Mansikka (Author), Timo Reunala (Author), Pekka Collin (Author), Katri Kaukinen (Author), Teea Salmi (Author)
Format: Book
Published: Medical Journals Sweden, 2021-09-01T00:00:00Z.
Subjects:
Online Access:Connect to this object online.
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Dermatitis herpetiformis is a cutaneous manifestation of coeliac disease treated with a gluten-free diet. However, the itching and blistering rash alleviates slowly after gluten withdrawal and occasionally persists despite a long-term gluten-free diet. This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with prolonged (i.e. >2 years) and ongoing skin symptoms in 237 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. Data were gathered from medical records and via questionnaires. Among patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, 38% had prolonged symptoms after diagnosis, and 14% had ongoing skin symptoms at follow-up (median duration of gluten-free diet 24 years). A severe rash at diagnosis was associated with both prolonged and ongoing cutaneous symptoms. In addition, patients with dermatitis herpetiformis with ongoing skin symptoms at follow-up had been on the dietary treatment for a shorter time (median duration 16 vs 25 years) and were less often on a strict diet (53% vs 78%) compared with patients with dermatitis herpetiformis without ongoing skin symptoms.
Item Description:0001-5555
1651-2057
10.2340/00015555-3914