Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Patients with Coeliac Disease

Abstract

Six patients with coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease are described. Of special interest were two patients with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis and ulcerative colitis, one of whom also had sclerosing cholangitis. Three patients had both coeliac disease and ulcerative colitis, and one of them also had sclerosing cholangitis. In one patient with coeliac disease Crohn's disease of the small bowel was diagnosed. There seems to be an association between coeliac disease without dermatitis herpetiformis, and ulcerative colitis. The possible combination of coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease deserves more attention than it has hitherto received.

Key words:

• Crohn's disease
• coeliac disease
• dermatitis herpetiformis
• sclerosing cholangitis
• ulcerative colitis
• villous atrophy