Coeliac Disease and Malignancy

Abstract

Studies of small-bowel epithelial-cell turnover have been performed on 18 cases who had been diagnosed as having adult ‘coeliac disease’. These patients seem to be divisible into two groups on the basis of their mucosal dynamics. The association of subtotal villous atrophy with a lower cell turnover seems to carry a particularly grave prognosis. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the reported association between coeliac disease and abdominal lymphoma.