celiac disease

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Science & Tech

celiac disease

autoimmune digestive disorder

Also known as: celiac sprue, coeliac disease, gluten enteropathy, nontropical sprue

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 25, 2024 • Article History

celiac disease

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Also called:: nontropical sprue or celiac sprue

Related Topics:: autoimmunity; wheat; barley; small intestine; rye

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celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune digestive disorder in which affected individuals cannot tolerate gluten, a protein constituent of wheat, barley, malt, and rye flours. General symptoms of the disease include the passage of foul pale-coloured stools (steatorrhea), progressive malnutrition, diarrhea, decreased appetite and weight loss, multiple vitamin deficiencies, stunting of growth, abdominal pain, skin rash, and defects in tooth enamel. Advanced disease may be characterized by anemia, osteoporosis, vision disturbances, or amenorrhea (absence of menstruation in women). Celiac disease is estimated to occur in 0.5 to 1.0 percent of people in Europe and the United States. Similar prevalence rates have ...(100 of 767 words)

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