Enteroscopy for Early Diagnosis of Tumors in Celiac Disease

Celiac disease (CD) is the most common chronic autoimmune enteropathy in Western Countries with an estimated prevalence ranging from 1:100 to 1:200. It is usually characterized by a benign course with clinical and histological remission, provided that a strict gluten-free diet (GFD) is followed by patients. Less frequently, CD can be characterized by a complicated course, when facing with a refractory disease (RCD) or with malignancies of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, namely lymphoma and adenocarcinoma of the small bowel (SB). Different studies estimated a relative risk (RR) for neoplastic GI complications in CD ranging from 2 to 40 and from 10 to 60 for primary gut lymphoma and adenocarcinoma, respectively. Although uncommon, the discussed malignancies has a severe prognosis, reflecting the need for an early diagnosis. This project aims to establish an enteroscopic approach to improve the diagnostic timing and survival of CD patients at risk to develop SB tumors.