Pediatric Celiac Disease

While commonly thought as a condition causing chronic diarrhea with malabsorption and failure to thrive, celiac disease (CeD) can instead manifest with non-specific GI signs and symptoms such as constipation, as in the case illustrated below, or oral aphthae, dental enamel hypoplasia, or transaminitis. Extraintestinal manifestations such as short stature, recurrent headaches, delayed puberty, and arthritis are also very common in the pediatric age group. Thus, care providers must maintain a low threshold even in non-classical presentations. The chapter outlines an up-to-date, universally accepted approach to screening and diagnosing CeD in children.