Celiac Disease: The Endocrine Connection
Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent sensitivity to gluten (). It is manifested as a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by mucosal damage in the small intestine following ingestion of gluten (). Historically, CD has been considered uncommon in the United States. The prevalence of CD in the general United States population is estimated to be between 0.5% and 1% (). In the pediatric population, children aged 2 1/2 to 15 years, the prevalence of CD is estimated at 3 to 13 per 1,000 children (). However, current knowledge suggests that CD is likely to be underdiagnosed because of the myriad of clinical presentations (). As of 2008, the current estimate of CD cases in the United States was 3 million, with fewer than 100,000 correctly diagnosed (). (Source: Journal of Pediatric Nursing)MedWorm Message: Register for MedMatcha, MedWorm's medical advertising network, and receive $5 free advertising.
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