Characteristics of Adult Celiac Disease in Eastern Algeria

The objective of this study was to determine the clinical picture of adult celiac disease in the population of eastern Algeria. We conducted a retrospective study on a sample of 156 patients in Internal Medicine service, Hepato-Gastroenterology Service, Endoscopy Service in the University Hospital BENBADIS - Constantine and the Military Regional University Hospital - Constantine. Our results have shown that, in this population, celiac disease can be manifested by a number of signs and related pathologies. A variety of digestive symptoms were reported, primarily chronic diarrhea (81.4%), abdominal pain (57.1%), anorexia (42.9%) and vomiting (48%). Extra-digestive symptoms manifested mainly as weight loss (90.4%), pallorous of skin and mucosa (84%), asthenia (60,3%), edema of the lower limbs (46.8%) and dehydration sings (37.8%). In addition, we noted biological disorders, the most common being hypocalcemia (77.4%) and hypoalbuminemia (57.7%), and a series associated pathologies namely: anemia (67.9%) and digestive diseases (38.46%). CD in adults in our population may express a variety of digestive and extra-digestive symptoms in addition to a number of associated pathologies.