[The value of IgA endomysium antibodies in diagnosis of coeliac disease among short children].

In recent years a shift in incidence of coeliac disease from the classical to late-onset form has been observed. The main, and often only, symptom of late onset coeliac disease is short stature. The presence of antiendomysial antibodies was found in 14 of 115 children with statural height below the third percentile from randomly chosen kindergartens and schools in Bydgoszcz. Severe atrophy of the intestinal villi in a biopsy specimen confirmed the suspicion of coeliac disease in these children. IgA-EmA are markers of coeliac disease in children with short stature and should be used as a screening test in looking for the causes of short stature.