Management of Patients with Refractory Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder affecting the small intestine. The condition represents an intolerance to gluten. Removal of dietary gluten permits recovery, with a full recovery for the majority of affected subjects. A percentage of affected subjects who do not improve with a gluten-free diet are considered to have refractory coeliac disease (RCD). Refractory coeliac disease is subdivided into type 1, characterised by a polyclonal expansion of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) that have a normal phenotype, and type 2 (RCD2) which exhibits IELs with a monoclonal phenotype. Subjects with RCD carry a high risk of complications, including ulcerative jejunitis and lymphoma affecting the small intestine, the latter termed enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL).

Refractory Celiac Disease Type II: A Case Report and Literature Review

We present an unusual case of 68-year-old male, who presented with acute abdomen, ulcerative jejunitis with perforation, and 2 months later with perforation of the sigmoid colon. We will also discuss difficulties in the delay in diagnosis of refractory celiac disease (RCD), specifically the atypical presentation, multiple surgeries, the consecutive failure of distinct therapeutic options, and multiple complications that occurred within the 3 months since first presentation.