Celiac Disease: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

  • General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, body weight, body height; further:
    • Inspection (viewing).
      • Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye) [pallor] [due topossible sequelae: edema (water retention in the tissues)].
      • Abdomen (abdomen)
        • Shape of the abdomen?
        • Skin color? Skin texture?
        • Efflorescences (skin changes)?
        • Pulsations? Bowel movements?
        • Visible vessels?
        • Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
    • Inspection and palpation (palpation) of the neck [due todifferential diagnosis: hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism)].
    • Auscultation (listening) of the heart
    • Auscultation of the lungs
    • Palpation of the abdomen (belly) with the search for resistances and defensive tension (pressure pain?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial gates?, kidney bearing knocking pain?) [meteorism (flatulence); abdominal pain] [due todifferential diagnoses:
      • Appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix).
      • Ulcus ventriculi (gastric ulcer)]

      [due topossible secondary diseases:

    • Digital rectal examination (DRU): examination of the rectum (rectum) [due todifferential diagnoses:
      • Ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
      • Crohn’s disease (inflammatory bowel disease (IBD))]
  • Cancer screening [due todifferential diagnoses:
    • Familial polyposis (synonym: familial adenomatous polyposis) – is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder. This leads to polyps in the colon (large intestine), which degenerate if left untreated and lead to colon carcinoma (colorectal cancer)
    • Colon carcinoma (colon cancer)
    • Lymphoma (malignant disease originating in the lymphatic system)]

    [due toPossible secondary diseases:

    • Lymphoma, especially in the small intestine.
    • Neoplasms (neoplasms) outside the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) that are not closely described
    • Tumors of the gastrointestinal tract such as esophageal carcinoma (cancer of the esophagus)]
  • If necessary, ophthalmological examination [due topossible secondary disease: nyctalopia (night blindness)]
  • If necessary, dermatological examination [due topossible secondary disease: dermatitis herpetiformis Duhring – chronic skin disease with herpes-like blisters and usually severe itching]
  • If necessary, gynecological examination [due todifferential diagnoses:
    • Adnexitis (inflammation of the so-called adnexa (engl. : appendage formation))]
    • Extrauterine pregnancy – pregnancy outside the uterus; extrauterine pregnancy is present in about 1 to 2% of all pregnancies: Tubalgravidity (tubal pregnancy), ovariangravidity (pregnancy in the ovary), peritonealgravidity or abdominalgravidity (abdominal pregnancy), cervicalgravidity (pregnancy in the cervix)]
  • If necessary, orthopedic examination [due topossible secondary diseases:
    • Arthritis (inflammation of the joints)
    • Muscle cramps
    • Muscle atrophy
    • Osteomalacia (softening of the bones)
    • Osteoporosis
    • Rickets (English disease) – disease of the skeletal system usually caused by vitamin D deficiency; the main symptom is bone deformities]
  • If necessary, psychiatric examination [due topossible symptoms: psychological changes, listlessness, fatigue, lack of concentration and performance and depression].
  • Urological examination [due todifferential diagnosis: ureteral stones (ureteral stones)]
  • Health check

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.