Celiac disease, with a prevalence around 1% of the general population, is the 
most common genetically-induced food intolerance in the world. Triggered by the 
ingestion of gluten in genetically predisposed individuals, this enteropathy may 
appear at any age, and is characterized by a wide variety of clinical signs and 
symptoms. Among them, gastrointestinal presentations include chronic diarrhea, 
abdominal pain, weight loss or failure to thrive in children; but 
extra-intestinal manifestations are also common, and actually appear to be on 
the rise. They include a large variety of ailments, such as dermatitis 
Herpetiformis, anemia, short stature, osteoporosis, arthritis, neurologic 
problems, unexplained elevation of transaminases, and even female infertility. 
For the clinician interested in oral diseases, celiac disease can lead to 
delayed tooth eruption, dental enamel hypoplasia, recurrent oral aphthae. 
Diagnosing celiac disease requires therefore a high degree of suspicion followed 
by a very sensitive screening test: serum levels of the autoantibody anti-tissue 
transglutaminase. A positive subject will then be confirmed by an intestinal 
biopsy, and will then be put on a strict gluten-free diet, that in most cases 
will bring a marked improvement of symptoms. Newer forms of treatment which in 
the future will probably be available to the non-responsive patients are 
currently being actively pursued.