Celiac disease and myointimal proliferation: a possible correlation?

Abstract

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder of the small bowel that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages, from middle infancy, and is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein. Some patients are diagnosed with symptoms related to the decreased absorption of nutrients or with various symptoms which, although statistically linked, have no clear relationship with the malfunctioning bowel. Classic symptoms of CD include diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue; bowel symptoms may be limited or even absent. In this article we describe the case of a young woman with CD who presents with myointimal proliferation. However multiple cases of vessel thrombosis have been reported in patients with CD. Despite the fact that no definitive relationship between these diseases could be explained, we think this association must be remembered especially in cases of young and tenuous women with these vascular abnormalities.

Keywords: Absorption; Atheromasia; Autoimmune; Gliadin; Thrombosis.