<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Greetings,

Thank you to everyone who responded to my question about the
likelihood of Celiac Disease being mistaken for Crohn's Disease.  A
number of people have asked me to let them know what I found out, so I
will summarise to the list.

I received 21 replies.  Of those 6 were from Celiacs who were given an
initial diagnosis of Crohn's Disease, in one case 20 years previously.
Another 7 people felt it was possible to have both Crohn's and Celiac
together and this was the case for five of them, most of whom reported
an improvement on a GF diet.  One person diagnosed with Crohn's
Disease but not Celiac reported complete remission of symptoms on a GF
diet.

The following information may also be useful.  The diagnosis for Celiac
Disease by biopsy is quite reliable so long as the person has been
ingesting gluten.  The chances of a false positive are remote although
negative results are sometimes observed where gluten intake has been
reduced or eliminated prior to the biopsy.  Crohn's Disease on the other
hand is often diagnosed simply from symptomology.  Many of the
symptoms are similar to Celiac Disease.  Either a colonoscopy or x-ray
examination with barium may show ulceration of the small bowel and
provide a more certain diagnosis of Crohn's Disease, but neither of these
rule out Celiac Disease.  Celiac Disease may coexist with Crohn's, or it
may give symptoms similar to Crohn's so it is worth consideration if a
Crohn's sufferer does not respond to medication or if there is a familial
history of Celiac Disease.

Best regards,
Barrie Woods
Christchurch
New Zealand