Herpetiformis dermatitis diagnosis can be quite difficult to establish and it usually involves more than just one test. The Herpetiformis dermatitis rash is one of the signs that might help in establishing an accurate diagnosis but it is not however enough. Here is more information on how this condition is diagnosed and more on this subject.
Herpetiformis dermatitis rash is one of the signs of the condition and which might also signal the existence of celiac disease. Therefore, diagnosing celiac disease in the presence of the rash might be considered enough by some specialists but not by others. Lesions caused by this condition can appear on the thumb, hand, knee, arm and legs, forearm and also on the elbows or buttocks.
There are however two main tests used to diagnose this condition. One of them involves the same blood tests used to diagnose celiac disease. These tests have the aim to detect the antibodies that are produced by the immune system to fight against the body’s own tissue, specific in celiac disease. Mainly, these tests consist of endomysial antibodies, anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies and anti-gliadin antibodies. The results of these tests can show abnormally elevated antibodies, particularly endomysial and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies. In these cases, there are over 95% chances that the individual has celiac disease. However, positive blood tests for celiac disease are the first step made in the diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis or perioral dermatitis.
Diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis can only be concluded after a skin biopsy. The site where the rash appeared is always biopsied to look for deposits of immunoglobulin A which can be found under the skin. A skin biopsy consists in removing a piece of tissue which is affected by the condition and which is brought to the laboratory and looked under a microscope. A specialist will establish if the immunoglobulin A exists and therefore if dermatitis herpetiformis is the accurate diagnosis.
In patients who have developed herpetiformis dermatitis and have positive blood test results it is not needed an intestinal biopsy. This might be one of the advantages of developing dermatitis herpetiformis. This skin condition may be diagnosed with a skin biopsy and that makes it much easier to detect it than other symptoms of celiac disease. Some of them include fatigue, missing periods, anemia or weight loss which cannot be diagnosed as easy as dermatitis herpetiformis. Patients, whose symptoms do not include this particular condition, normally have to undergo a small intestinal biopsy.
Herpetiformis dermatitis can, in the end be diagnosed with the help of a skin biopsy. Although this test is considered to be accurate and consistent enough to establish a proper herpetiformis dermatitis diagnosis, some specialists order blood tests at the same time to confirm both conditions: herpetiformis dermatitis and celiac disease.