Clinical Presentation of Pediatric Celiac Disease Patients in the Qassim Region Over Recent Years.

ABSTRACT

Introduction Celiac disease is an immune-mediated systemic disease. It is prevalent and has diverse clinical manifestations; gastrointestinal symptoms are more common in children, including failure to thrive, chronic diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal distention. The diagnosis should be made at a precise time to evade severe irreversible complications, especially for pediatric patients. This study aimed to determine the clinical presentation and diagnosis, including laboratory, serological tests, and histopathological findings, in pediatric celiac disease patients. Patients and methods  From January 2019 to August 2021, all children with a confirmed celiac disease diagnosis at Maternity and Children's Hospital in Buraydah, Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, were studied retrospectively. Information was collected, including demographics, clinical presentation, and diagnostic modalities with serology and small intestinal histology reported by Marsh grading.  Results Fourteen patients were reviewed, with a mean age of 8.64 years. Marsh grading of those who underwent biopsy revealed that half of the patients had type 3a, and the rest had either type 1 or 3b celiac disease. Clinical manifestations included abdominal distention and chronic diarrhea, and some patients were asymptomatic. Conclusion Abdominal distention, chronic diarrhea, constipation, and nausea were the most common clinical features. Patients with a family history of celiac disease, longer symptom duration, and higher tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (tTG-IgA) levels are more symptomatic.