Transient gastro-intestinal disorders during infancy and early childhood. A follow-up study with special reference to coeliac disease.

In a reappraisal study of coeliac disease (CD) 38 children and adolescents were studied: 20 (group A) had a previous diagnosis of CD from early childhood but had been lost to follow-up, 18 (group B) had in infancy or early childhood been hospitalized for more than 1 month for different gastro-intestinal symptoms without receiving a diagnosis of CD. In the present study the patients had a clinical examination and Hb, serum IgA and folate were analysed. These investigations did not prove helpful in selecting coeliac cases. Intestinal biopsy revealed CD in 8 patients in group A and in 6 patients in group B. Thus the frequency of CD was almost the same in the two groups. All 14 patients with CD had very few complaints, when a careful medical history was taken before biopsy. The present study shows the importance of performing intestinal biopsy on liberal indications on patients with an infancy or early childhood history of malabsorption-related symptoms. Among these patients many coeliacs are likely to be found.