The incidence of coeliac disease in children in south-east Sweden.

Among children born between 1969 and 1977 in two areas of south-east Sweden an initial flat small intestinal mucosa was found in 84 cases, 64 of whom were considered to have coeliac disease (CD) diagnosed mostly according to the criteria formulated by the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. The incidence of CD was 1/859, which is in agreement with that of a recent report from south Sweden. This suggests that the incidence of CD is the same in the whole of Sweden. In the present study all patients with an initial flat mucosa improved clinically and histologically after 1 year or more on a gluten-free diet. When challenged with gluten, 19% did not relapse within 2 years, thus fulfilling the criteria for so-called transient gluten intolerance. These patients had a lower mean age of symptom debut and for first biopsy, compared with the patients with CD.