Coeliac disease presenting with intraperitoneal haemorrhage

Unexpected Diagnosis in an Adolescent With Bruises and Ecchymosis: Celiac Disease

ABSTRACT

Acquired coagulopathy is a rare but challenging diagnosis for pediatric emergency physicians. Although the coagulopathy usually presents with mild skin and mucosal hemorrhages, it also can lead to life-threatening events. Thus, accurate interpretation of hints obtained from a detailed history, physical examination, and laboratory findings is essential for the prompt diagnosis and management. This case demonstrates an uncommon cause of coagulopathy; celiac disease that presented with spontaneous bruises and ecchymosis in an adolescent.

Coagulopathy due to celiac disease presenting as intramuscular hemorrhage

INTRODUCTION

Celiac sprue most commonly presents with steatorrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Celiac disease is now becoming more recognized for its atypical presentations. Anemia, osteoporosis, and childhood failure to thrive have been widely discussed.

OBJECTIVE

In this paper, we present a case of nontraumatic intramuscular hemorrhage associated with prolongation of both prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time.

MAIN RESULTS

Coagulopathy, unmasked by the use of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was found to be attributable to vitamin K deficiency associated with malabsorption of multiple fat soluble vitamins. Celiac sprue was confirmed by small bowel biopsy. A review of the literature finds that, whereas asymptomatic prolongation of coagulation is relatively common in celiac sprue, clinical bleeding is a rare but described presentation.

CONCLUSION

This case emphasizes the importance of recognizing hemorrhage as an atypical manifestation of celiac disease and offers the opportunity to review the clinical and laboratory evaluation of a patient who presents with unexplained hemorrhage.

Celiac disease with diffuse cutaneous vitamin K-deficiency bleeding

This article describes a 4-y-old girl with spontaneous, generalized bruising, abdominal distention, and signs of malnutrition. She had been treated previously with an antibiotic for diarrhea. Laboratory analyses showed the presence of iron-deficiency anemia, mild hypoalbuminemia, and considerably prolonged prothrombin time and activated thromboplastin time. Tests revealed that hemostasis improved after the patient received fresh frozen plasma. A coagulation profile showed a decrease in clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X. The patient was given intravenous vitamin K therapy (5 mg/d) for 3 d. All coagulation tests were normalized, and bruising started to disappear. Positive serology (immunoglobulin A antitissue transglutaminase and immunoglobulin A antiendomysial antibodies) and smallbowel mucosal histopathology confirmed the presence of celiac disease (CD). The girl recovered completely after she was put on a gluten-free diet. Vitamin K-deficiency bleeding is a rare complication that occurs almost exclusively in patients with typical CD manifestations. In addition to antibiotic therapy, treatment with other drugs that influence vitamin K resorption and metabolism may increase the risk of bleeding in patients with CD with hypoprothrombinemia.

Prevalence and clinical associations of prolonged prothrombin time in adult untreated coeliac disease

INTRODUCTION

Untreated coeliac disease may induce malabsorption of many nutrients. It may also induce vitamin K deficiency, which causes prolongation of the prothrombin time. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and associations of prolonged prothrombin time in a series of coeliac adults.

METHODS

We carried out a cross-sectional analysis of data collected on 390 adults with untreated coeliac disease diagnosed from January 1997 to December 2000. Prolonged prothrombin time was defined as INR > or = 1.4.

RESULTS

A prolonged prothrombin time was found in 72 coeliac patients (18.5%). Parenteral vitamin K therapy was required in 5.6% of patients. Patients with prolonged prothrombin time had significant lower values of haemoglobin, iron, proteins, cholesterol and serum aspartate transaminase, and significantly higher prevalence of diarrhoea, weight loss, abdominal pain and low bone mineral density in comparison with patients with normal prothrombin time. However, low bone density was present in 11.6% of patients with normal INR. A prolonged prothrombin time was only found in a few patients with subclinical coeliac disease (0.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Data indicate that the prevalence of prolonged prothrombin time is about 20% in a large series of adult untreated coeliac patients. A prolonged prothrombin time was significantly related to all the markers of severe malabsorption, including low mineral density. Our suggestion is that vitamin K related proteins may also play a role in determining or worsening calcium homeostasis disorders in coeliac disease. The very low prevalence of coagulation disorders in subclinical coeliac disease indicates that there is no need to screen for coeliac disease in patients with isolated coagulation disorders.

Rare acquired bleeding disorders

Accurate diagnosis of the cause of bleeding is a prerequisite for determination of the optimal therapeutic response. Clinicians are generally aware of the more prevalent hemorrhagic syndromes but some rare acquired conditions are also of importance. In many of these, inhibitors of coagulation factors or of platelet adhesion/aggregation cause bleeding. These inhibitors are generally, but not always, immunoglobulins. In this review, the less common inhibitors of coagulation and hemostasis, as well as some important but rare nutritional, iatrogenic and disease associated hemorrhagic disorders, are described.