Pediatric Celiac Disease (Sprue) Medication

Updated: Jul 07, 2023
  • Author: Stefano Guandalini, MD, AGAF; Chief Editor: Carmen Cuffari, MD  more...
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Medication

Medication Summary

Glucocorticoids may be needed for refractory celiac disease (a condition, however, not reported convincingly in pediatric patients).

More interesting is the active research on promising new drugs, especially those aimed at substantially decreasing the amount of toxic gliadin peptides delivered to the small intestine after gluten ingestion, such as latiglutenase. [67, 68]

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Glucocorticoids

Class Summary

Corticosteroids can rapidly control severe symptoms of celiac disease (CD). They may also have a role in rare cases in which the patient has no response to diet; this condition is known as refractory celiac disease and occurs exclusively in adults (1-3% of total).

For celiac disease in children, steroids are almost never needed.

Hydrocortisone (A-Hydrocort, Solu-Cortef)

Some cases of refractory celiac disease (with all other forms of colitis and enteritis excluded) respond to parenteral corticosteroids, for reasons unknown. Exclude other etiologies of failure to thrive, especially in children, because systemic steroids can pose risk to growth. Sodium succinate salt formulation may be administered IV or IM.

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