Dermatitis herpetiformis and rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Dermatitis herpetiformis DH is a rare, intensely pruritic, chronic, recurrent, papulovesicular disease. The disease can be clearly distinguished from the other subepidermal blistering eruptions by histologic, immunologic, and gastrointestinal criteria. Most patients have an associated gluten-sensitive enteropathy GSE that is usually asymptomatic. Both enteropathy and the dermatologic findings disappear with a gluten-free diet, therefore, DH is thought to be the specific dermatologic finding of celiac disease CD. An association between CD and autoimmune disease has been documented in several studies. Similar associations have been reported in DH. We report a 46-year-old man with DH diagnosed more than 10 years previously who developed GSE, pernicious anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis in the following years.