What is Dermatitis Herpetiformis?
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is skin manifestation of celiac disease characterized by blistering, intensely itchy skin. The rash has a symmetrical distribution and is most frequently found on the face, elbows, knees and buttocks. DH patients can have gastrointestinal damage without perceptible symptoms.(Provided by the Celiac Disease Foundation, for further inquiries call (818) 990-2354).
DH is the skin manifestation of celiac disease. It is characterized by an extremely itchy, watery blister or rash that is found on the limbs, trunk, face and scalp. The blisters are often mirrored on both sides of the body or face and reoccur in the same areas. The eruptions are often mistaken for and treated as other skin conditions including psoriasis, infected mosquito bites, contact dermatitis, allergies or “non-specific dermatitis.” DH is a chronic, permanent condition and, if not treated with a gluten-free diet, may cause gastrointestinal symptoms at a later date whether or not the intestines shows damage initially. Less than 10% of patients with DH have GI symptoms, yet if you have DH, you always have celiac disease. DH is diagnosed by a small skin biopsy at the edge of an eruption. This must be done by a knowledgeable dermatologist as a sampling of tissue from the wrong section of the eruption can be confused with other skin conditions. The current treatment of DH is two-fold:
