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Digestive Diseases
Diagnosis of Celiac Disease
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Diagnosis of Celiac Disease
In the past, many patients remained undiagnosed for as long as nine years, but with new diagnostic methods developed in the 1990s, that time has been reduced by 50%. However, the goal is to be able to diagnose patients with celiac disease much sooner so they can stop and reverse damage.
While symptoms vary, and sometimes no symptoms may be noticed (see below), anyone with first-degree relatives with celiac disease should be tested.
If celiac disease is suspected, your physician will take a blood sample and test it for certain antibodies – anti-gliadin antibodies, anti-endomysial antibodies, anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies, and total immunoglobulin A levels.
Your physician will also want to determine whether any nutritional deficiencies exist – most often, iron, folate (a B-vitamin), vitamin B-12, calcium and vitamin D as well as copper and zinc levels.
S/he will also want to perform an endoscopic examination of the small intestine and take biopsies of the duodenum to look for changes characteristic of celiac disease.
Contact
- Digestive and Liver Diseases, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia
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Directions
(212) 305-8156
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
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Directions
(646) 962-4463
