Dysphagia as the sole initial presentation of celiac disease

Abstract

Several studies have described celiac disease patients presenting with esophageal symptoms. We present the case of a 33-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with three months of strictly dysphagia to solids. She reported no weight loss, abdominal pain, or diarrhea and reported no heartburn symptoms. Labs revealed a tissue transglutaminase IgA of > 100 units. Biopsies revealed moderate to severe villous blunting and increased intraepithelial lymphocytosis consistent with Marsh 3 celiac disease in the 2nd and 3rd portions of the duodenum. To the best of our knowledge, this case represents the first reported case of dysphagia as initial and sole presentation of celiac disease completely resolved by gluten-free diet.