Childhood dermatitis herpetiformis: a case report and review of the literature

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a chronic pruritic cutaneous eruption associated with gluten-sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease CD]) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposition in the skin. While the disease is not uncommon among adolescents, DH is rarely seen in prepubertal patients. Children with DH present similarly to adults; however, uncommon skin findings have been reported. Because of an increased risk for autoimmune diseases and lymphoma, accurate diagnosis and treatment are imperative. We present a case of DH in a 6-year-old Latino boy previously diagnosed with atopic dermatitis and recurrent urticaria. Our aim is to highlight the various cutaneous presentations of DH and encourage clinicians to consider this diagnosis in young patients with recalcitrant atypical skin disease.