Dermatitis Herpetiformis - Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a skin disorder often associated with celiac disease. (DH) is an intensely itchy skin eruption. Dermatitis herpetiformis usually begins in persons age 20 and older, although children may sometimes be affected. It is seen in both men and women. It usually shows up in young adults, and is more common in men and people originally from some areas of northern Europe. It has been hypothesized that DH is the result of an immunologic response to chronic stimulation of the gut mucosa by dietary gluten with subsequent activation of cutaneous endothelial cells and circulating inflammatory cells, including neutrophils. DH was formerly described in the literature as Duhring's Disease. Several chemicals have been associated with induction of DH, including potassium iodide and cleaning solutions. It has a typical onset in the teens or in the third or fourth decades of life. In the U.S., the presence of diagnosed cases is estimated to be about 1 in 10,000 with a male/female ratio of 2:1. It is more common in whites and rare in people of African or Asian descent. If you have DH, you always have gluten intolerance. With DH, the primary lesion is on the skin, whereas with celiac disease the lesions are in the small intestine.
