Patologie digestivă asociată în fibroza chistică: un hazard genetic? |[Affective Digestive Pathology in Cystic Fibrosis: A Genetic Risk?]

Abstract

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic multisystemic autosomal recessive genetic disease, with pancreatic insufficiency in 90% of patients. Specific gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms of CF can sometimes mimic the clinical expression of other GI illnesses. CF and celiac disease (CD) share features of malabsorption syndrome, steatorrhea, and failure to thrive. It is difficult to diagnose CD in CF patients and vice versa. Other chronic gastrointestinal problems may hide the features of CF. A case series report is presented, where GI symptoms associated with CF, made diagnosis difficult: two children with delayed CF diagnosis because of lactase insufficiency; one CF patient whose celiac disease was discovered following a GI infection with poor resolution. Having a chronic gastrointestinal illness does not exclude another one: persistent digestive malfunction after correct diagnosis and treatment of one GI disease is often a challenge for the clinician in order to make the diagnosis of the associated disease.