Crossroads of Dermatitis Herpetiformis and Celiac Disease

Dermatitis herpetiformis in an intensely itchy skin condition caused by a reaction to gluten ingestion. Most patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) also have celiac disease. Though, oddly enough, DH patients sometimes have a normal intestinal biopsy and normal celiac blood tests but will still respond to a gluten-free diet. About 15% of people with celiac disease also have DH, though this population tends to not experience the more classic gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and bloating. So, how does a patient with celiac disease and DH manage the gluten-free diet at home, at school, and on the go? Does touching gluten cause their rash to come back? If they don’t have GI symptoms, how strict of a gluten-free diet do they need to be on? Does it make a difference if they have a small bowel biopsy or not? We’ll discuss this and more on today’s episode of Raising Celiac. The Raising Celiac Podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Global Autoimmune Institute.