Celiac disease presenting as acute colonic pseudo-obstruction.
Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction rarely presents in children. Upon diagnosis, initiating conservative management and identification of an underlying etiology is mandatory. We describe the case of an 8-year-old girl who presented with signs of acute abdominal distention with no evident etiology. The diagnosis of celiac disease was suspected and confirmed by intestinal biopsy. Based on this case and other reported cases in the literature, we discuss this unusual mode of presentation of celiac disease, the underlying etiology and suggest management options to avoid unnecessary aggressive interventions.
Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, University of Balamand, School of Medicine, Beirut, Lebanon. mattareva@gmail.com
Reva
R
Matta
Elie
E
Aramouni
Pierre
P
Mouawad
Nabil
N
Diab
D000208:Acute Disease; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007418:Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal