Frontiers in Medicine (May 2023)

Skin gluten-related disorders: new and old cutaneous manifestations to be considered

  • Alice Verdelli,
  • Alberto Corrà,
  • Elena Biancamaria Mariotti,
  • Cristina Aimo,
  • Lavinia Quintarelli,
  • Valentina Ruffo di Calabria,
  • Marta Elettra Donati,
  • Veronica Bonciolini,
  • Emiliano Antiga,
  • Marzia Caproni

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1155288
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

Read online

The term gluten-related disorders (GRD) refer to a spectrum of different clinical manifestations triggered by the ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals, including coeliac disease (CD), wheat allergy and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). GRD are characterized by a large variety of clinical presentations with both intestinal and extra-intestinal manifestations. The latter may affect almost every organ of the body, including the skin. Besides the well-known association between CD and dermatitis herpetiformis, considered as the cutaneous specific manifestation of CD, many other muco-cutaneous disorders have been associated to GRD. In this review, we analyzed the main features of dermatological diseases with a proven association with GRD and those that improve after a gluten-free diet, focusing on the newly described cutaneous manifestations associated with NCGS. Our main hypothesis is that a “cutaneous-gluten sensitivity,” as specific cutaneous manifestation of NCGS, may exist and could represent a diagnostic marker of NCGS.

Keywords