A 70-year-old man with isolated weight loss and a pellagra-like syndrome due to celiac disease.
An elderly man was diagnosed with celiac disease, which presented with three notable features: first, presentation at the age of 70 with no prior gastrointestinal symptomatology or positive family history; second, triggering of all symptoms following recent myocardial infarction and infective endocarditis; third, presentation with marked (more than 20 percent) weight loss and pellagra-like skin lesions despite nearly normal examination and laboratory tests. Thus, celiac disease may present as a pellagra-like syndrome in the elderly with predominant weight loss that is enhanced by the related taste disturbances.
Schattner
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Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA.
D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D004032:Diet; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D010383:Pellagra / Q000209:etiology*; D013577:Syndrome; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D015431:Weight Loss