High incidence and prevalence of adult coeliac disease. Augmented diagnostic approach.
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis of coeliac disease is easily overlooked as patients can present with mild or atypical symptoms, or the condition can even be clinically silent. Our aim was to detect coeliac disease patients with such atypical or no symptoms as well as those with typical features.


METHODS
The incidence of adult coeliac disease in Tampere was calculated from 1975 to 1994 and the prevalence as of 31 December 1994. Open-access endoscopy was available for general practitioners, and small-bowel biopsy was done routinely. Serologic screening was applied to patients with an increased risk of coeliac disease.


RESULTS
The incidence of coeliac disease increased tenfold, and the prevalence was 270 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1994. Twenty per cent were found by serologic screening and 10% as a result of routine biopsy; 24% had dermatitis herpetiformis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our diagnostic approach gave a coeliac prevalence similar to that found in population screening studies. One-third had silent coeliac disease.
Collin
P
P
Dept. of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, University of Tampere, Finland.
Reunala
T
T
Rasmussen
M
M
Kyrönpalo
S
S
Pehkonen
E
E
Laippala
P
P
Mäki
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications; D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007246:Infertility / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications