Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Pediatr. Jul 9, 2021; 10(4): 53-71
Published online Jul 9, 2021. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v10.i4.53
Celiac disease in children: A review of the literature
Yasin Sahin
Yasin Sahin, Pediatric Gastroenterology-Hepatology and Nutrition, Medical Park Gaziantep Hospital, Gaziantep 27560, Turkey
Author contributions: Sahin Y wrote the paper and collected the data.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Author has nothing to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yasin Sahin, MD, Associate Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology-Hepatology and Nutrition, Medical Park Gaziantep Hospital, Mucahitler Mah. 52063 sok. no:2 Sehitkamil, Gaziantep 27560, Turkey. ysahin977@gmail.com
Received: February 2, 2021
Peer-review started: February 2, 2021
First decision: March 17, 2021
Revised: March 23, 2021
Accepted: May 22, 2021
Article in press: May 22, 2021
Published online: July 9, 2021
Abstract

Celiac disease is an immune-mediated systemic disease triggered by intake of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. The prevalence of celiac disease in the general population is estimated to be 1% in the world. Its prevalence differs depending on geographical and ethnic variations. The prevalence of celiac disease has increased significantly in the last 30 years due to the increased knowledge and awareness of physicians and the widespread use of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for celiac disease. Despite increased awareness and knowledge about celiac disease, up to 95% of celiac patients still remain undiagnosed. The presentations of celiac disease have significantly changed in the last few decades. Classical symptoms of celiac disease occur in a minority of celiac patients, while older children have either minimal or atypical symptoms. Serologic tests for celiac disease should be done in patients with unexplained chronic or intermittent diarrhea, failure to thrive, weight loss, delayed puberty, short stature, amenorrhea, iron deficiency anemia, nausea, vomiting, chronic abdominal pain, abdominal distension, chronic constipation, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, and abnormal liver enzyme elevation, and in children who belong to specific groups at risk. Early diagnosis of celiac disease is very important to prevent long-term complications. Currently, the only effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. In this review, we will discuss the epidemiology, clinical findings, diagnostic tests, and treatment of celiac disease in the light of the latest literature.

Keywords: Celiac disease, Children, Intestinal biopsy

Core Tip: Celiac disease is a systemic lifelong disease. The prevalence of celiac disease has increased significantly in the last three decades due to the increased awareness of physicians and widespread use of highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tests for celiac disease. Despite increased awareness and widespread use of diagnostic tests, up to 95% of celiac patients still remain undiagnosed. Early diagnosis is very important to prevent long-term complications. The only effective treatment is still a lifelong gluten-free diet. In this review, we will discuss the epidemiology, clinical findings, diagnostic tests, and treatment of celiac disease in the light of the latest literature.