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. 1999 Jan-Feb;72(1):15–18.

A 70-year-old man with isolated weight loss and a pellagra-like syndrome due to celiac disease.

A Schattner 1
PMCID: PMC2578959  PMID: 10691045

Abstract

An elderly man was diagnosed with celiac disease, which presented with three notable features: first, presentation at the age of 70 with no prior gastrointestinal symptomatology or positive family history; second, triggering of all symptoms following recent myocardial infarction and infective endocarditis; third, presentation with marked (more than 20 percent) weight loss and pellagra-like skin lesions despite nearly normal examination and laboratory tests. Thus, celiac disease may present as a pellagra-like syndrome in the elderly with predominant weight loss that is enhanced by the related taste disturbances.

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Selected References

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