Oro-dental lesions in pediatric patients with celiac disease: an observational retrospective clinical study

ABSTRACT

Background and aim: to investigate the correlation betweenceliac disease and specific oral lesions.Methods: one hundred and fourteen pediatric patients wereenrolled and divided into three groups: celiac patients (CDgroup), patients with malabsorption without celiac disease(non-CD group) and healthy controls. Oral lesions of hardand soft tissues were detected and analyzed by Fisher’s testand odds ratio calculations.Results: a non-random correlation between the threegroups and the rate of enamel defects was detected. TheCD group showed more severe enamel defects compared tothe non-CD group. A non-random association between thethree groups and the number of mucous lesions was notobserved. Furthermore, malabsorption patterns not relatedto the celiac disease involved a relatively modest risk ofspecific enamel defects compared to controls.Conclusions: hypoplastic enamel defects of the permanentteeth could be reliable indicators for celiac disease. The etiology of specific hypoplastic enamel lesions mainly has tobe sought in the autoimmune response triggered by gluten, while the malabsorption would play only a minor role.Lesions of the oral mucous membranes should not be considered as specific risk indicators, however, they representa non-specific marker of malabsorption. (AU)