Incidence of coeliac disease and transient gluten intolerance in children in a Swedish urban community.

The incidence of coeliac disease in children in the city of Malmö, South Sweden, was 1 : 982 during 1966 to 1975. The diagnostic criteria were: flat intestinal mucosa on gluten-containing diet, free of symptoms, and improvement in mucosal morphology on gluten-free diet, and morphological and/or evident clinical relapse (three times) on gluten challenge. 6 (12%) of 49 children with initially a flat mucosa still had a normal mucosa on a gluten-containing diet for two years or longer, having so-called transient gluten intolerance.