Dermatitis Herpetiformis Symptoms, Causes & More

By priscilla

Reviewed: dr. vanta

Article Sources

Article Sources

• 1. Gualandris, Federica, et al. ‘The Association of HLA-DQ2 with Celiac Disease.’ IntechOpen, IntechOpen, 31 Mar. 2021, www.intechopen.com/books/celiac-disease/the-association-of-hla-dq2-with-celiac-disease
• 2. Celiac Disease Screening.’ Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/screening-and-diagnosis/screening/
• 3. Clarindo, Marcos Vinícius, et al. ‘Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis and Treatment.’ Anais Brasileiros De Dermatologia, Sociedade Brasileira De Dermatologia, 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4230654/

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Dermatitis herpetiformis goes under many names, including Duhring's disease, DH, celiac rash or gluten rash. It's a chronic skin condition that causes blisters and itchy bumps. The condition's primary cause is sensitivity to gluten, a protein common in grains, such as wheat, barley and rye.

About 10 to 25 percent of people who are diagnosed with celiac disease also have dermatitis herpetiformis. Most people with this condition don't exhibit the digestive symptoms of celiac disease. Almost all dermatitis herpetiformis patients have an asymptomatic form of celiac disease. This condition is often recognized as the skin manifestation of celiac disease.

Who Is at Risk?

People of all ages can get dermatitis herpetiformis. However, people between the ages of 30 and 40 are the most likely to be impacted. People of northern European descent are at risk, and the disease affects men more commonly than it does women. Likewise, genital and oral problems occur most commonly in men.

People who have a first relative who has the skin condition are at a slightly higher risk of having it themselves. A history of autoimmune diseases in the family is also common in people with dermatitis herpetiformis. Those diseases include thyroid disease, pernicious anemia and Addison's disease.