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Dermatitis Herpetiformis
  Dermatitis Herpetiformis
 Contributing risk factors
 Treatment recommendations
 


Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a severe itchy, blistering skin disease caused by gluten intolerance. DH is related to celiac disease since both are autoimmune disorders caused by gluten intolerance, but they are separate diseases. Signs & Symptoms


Although people with DH do not usually have digestive symptoms, they often have the same intestinal damage as people with celiac disease.

The rash usually occurs on the elbows, knees, and buttocks.

Diagnosis & Tests
DH is diagnosed through a skin biopsy, which involves removing a tiny piece of skin near the rash and testing it for the IgA antibody.

Treatment & Prevention
DH is treated with a gluten-free diet; conventional medication such as dapsone or sulfapyridine may be used to control the rash but may be required for several years.





Risk factors for Dermatitis Herpetiformis:
Autoimmune  Gluten Sensitivity / Celiac Disease
  Autoimmune Tendency

Recommendations and treatments for Dermatitis Herpetiformis:
Diet  Gluten-free Diet


KEY
Weak or unproven link
Highly recommended


GLOSSARY

Antibody (Antibodies)
A type of serum protein (globulin) synthesized by white blood cells of the lymphoid type in response to an antigenic (foreign substance) stimulus. Antibodies are complex substances formed to neutralize or destroy these antigens in the blood. Antibody activity normally fights infection but can be damaging in allergies and a group of diseases that are called autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune Disease (Autoimmune, Autoimmunity)
One of a large group of diseases in which the immune system turns against the body's own cells, tissues and organs, leading to chronic and often deadly conditions. Examples include multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, Bright's disease and diabetes.

Biopsy
Removal of a sample of tissue from a living being for diagnosis. A pathologist later uses a microscope to look for certain features, such as cancer cells, in the sample. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy involves inserting a thin needle to remove a small amount of tissue, sometimes using CT or ultrasound to guide the needle. A core biopsy involves obtaining a sample of tissue with a thick needle or by inserting a thin, lighted tube (laparoscope) into a small incision in the abdomen. Another biopsy method is to remove tissue during an operation.

Celiac Disease (Gluten Sensitivity)
A digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten. Common symptoms include diarrhea, increased appetite, bloating, weight loss, irritability and fatigue. Gluten is found in wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye, barley and sometimes oats.

Dermatitis
A general term used to refer to eruptions or rashes on the skin.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA)
Supports mucosal immunity.




Last updated: Apr 13, 2008


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