Q: I’ve been diagnosed with dermatitis herpetiformis. How is it related to celiac disease?
A: Dermatitis herpetiformis is a skin disease caused by an intolerance to gluten. It is a form of celiac disease, the inherited autoimmune intestinal disorder that affects between one in 100 and one in 200 people worldwide. Gluten, found in the grains wheat, rye and barley, damages the small intestine and can also affect other body systems, such as the skin. About 10 per cent of celiacs will also have dermatitis herpetiformis (DH).
Although most people with DH have varying degrees of small intestinal damage, many will have no or few bowel complaints typically associated with celiac disease.
The DH skin rash burns and itches intensely. It is symmetrically distributed and usually found on the elbows, knees and buttocks. It also can appear on the back of the neck, upper back, scalp and hairline. Groups of small blisters will form that will erupt into small red lesions.
The condition typically appears between the ages of 20 to 45, but can occur at other times. It is most common in people of northern European descent and rare in Asians and African-Americans.
DH is often misdiagnosed as other skin conditions such as herpes, eczema, contact dermatitis, hives or psoriasis and treated with a variety of topical creams. The only way to diagnose DH is a skin biopsy from unaffected skin adjacent to blisters or lesions. A biopsy of the small intestine, normally used to diagnose celiac disease, is not essential if the skin biopsy tests positive for DH.
Next: Managing dermatitis herpetiformis
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