Case Study

Lack of association between celiac disease and dental enamel hypoplasia in a case-control study from an Italian central region

Maurizio Procaccini¹ , Giuseppina Campisi² , Pantaleo Bufo³ , Domenico Compilato² , Claudia Massaccesi¹ , Carlo Catassi⁴ and Lorenzo Lo Muzio³

¹  Istituto di Scienze Odontostomatologiche, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy

²  Dip. Scienze Stomatologiche, Università di Palermo, Italy

³  Dip. Scienze Chirurgiche, Università di Foggia, Italy

⁴  Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy

author email corresponding author email

Head & Face Medicine 2007, 3:25doi:10.1186/1746-160X-3-25

Published:	30 May 2007

Abstract

Background

A close correlation between celiac disease (CD) and oral lesions has been reported. The aim of this case-control study was to assess prevalence of enamel hypoplasia, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), dermatitis herpetiformis and atrophic glossitis in an Italian cohort of patients with CD.

Methods

Fifty patients with CD and fifty healthy subjects (age range: 3–25 years), matched for age, gender and geographical area, were evaluated by a single trained examiner. Diagnosis of oral diseases was based on typical medical history and clinical features. Histopathological analysis was performed when needed. Adequate univariate statistical analysis was performed.

Results

Enamel hypoplasia was observed in 26% cases vs 16% in controls (p > 0.2; OR = 1.8446; 95% CI = 0.6886: 4.9414). Frequency of RAS in the CD group was significantly higher (36% vs 12%; p = 0.0091; OR = 4.125; 95% CI = 1.4725: 11.552) in CD group than that in controls (36% vs 12%). Four cases of atrophic glossitis and 1 of dermatitis herpetiformis were found in CD patients vs 1 and none, respectively, among controls.

Conclusion

The prevalence of enamel hypoplasia was not higher in the study population than in the control group. RAS was significantly more frequent in patients with CD.