Enteropathy-associated T celllymphoma as a complication of silent celiac disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which a genetic predisposition and the ingestion of wheat gluten triggers a deleteri-ous immune response. This response is com-plex and may lead to manifestations other than enteropathyha: hepatitis, dermatitis and neu-ropathy. There is higher risk for neoplasia. We observed an atypical case, corresponding to a 69-year old female presenting with complicat-ed celiac disease. The patient was referred fol-lowing the histological examination of an enterectomy specimen, which unexpectedly revealed an enteropathy-associated T cell lym-phoma in a background of celiac disease. Patient’s previous medical history comprised several abdominal surgical procedures, with-out other prior symptoms suggestive of celiac disease. Indeed, the patient was obese and no signs of malabsortion were apparent. This case draws our attention to clinically silent celiac disease, which represents a diagnostic chal-lenge. Thus, this should be kept in mind when-ever a patient presents with abdominal relaps-ing complications, otherwise unexplained