Celiac Disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis: National survey indicates delays in diagnosis.

A national survey of 1937 members of the Canadian Celiac Association was conducted by mail questionnaire in June 1989 to study problems in diagnosing and managing celiac disease (CD) and dermatitis herpetiformis. Although 82% of the 1294 respondents were biopsied, 14% were diagnosed by their dramatic response to the gluten-free diet. Fifteen percent of biopsy-proven respondents saw five or more doctors before CD was diagnosed. Mean delays in diagnosis ranged from 5.8 (±10.9) years for those with nausea or vomiting to 13.9 (±14.5) years for those with headache or migraine.