Beyond Dermatitis Herpetiformis: A critical review of the role of gluten
in dermatoses other than Dermatitis Herpetiformis
Abstract
The role of gluten has rarely been explored beyond dermatitis
herpetiformis. With the latest craze in the diet industry being a gluten
free diet, many parents enforce a gluten free diet on their children and
seek dermatologists or paediatricians’ opinion s on the same. However,
neither any standard textbook nor any review article widely available on
the internet focuses on the role of gluten in disorders beyond
dermatitis herpetiformis – viz atopic dermatitis, vasculitis,
pilofoliculosebaceous disorders like acne, rosacea and chronic
urticarial, angioedema etc. This review examines the role of gluten in
the causation of these disorders, examines the evidence available
thereof and makes practical recommendations as regards a gluten free
diet in these disorders. It is hoped that dermatologists will feel more
comfortable to make an informed decision when confronted with the
question of excluding or retaining gluten in the diet of children
afflicted with these disorders.
