Can coeliac disease cause infertility?

A rare case where a woman who had failed to conceive was found to have previously undiagnosed coeliac disease. After eight months of a gluten-free diet she managed to conceive.

Primary infertility as a rare presentation of celiac disease.

OBJECTIVE:
To report a case of a woman presenting with primary infertility who on investigation was found to have celiac disease and had a successful conception when on a gluten-free diet for a period of 8 months.

DESIGN:
Case report.

SETTING:
Tertiary care university hospital.

PATIENT(S):
A 30-year-old female patient with primary infertility.

INTERVENTION(S):
Gluten-free diet.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):
Successful pregnancy.

RESULT(S):
On investigation she had microcytic hypochromic anemia and high titers of IgA tissue transglutaminase. Duodenal biopsy was done and histology was suggestive of celiac disease. The patient was put on gluten-free diet. Eight months later she had a successful conception.

CONCLUSION(S):
We suggest that celiac disease should be checked in infertile patients of unexplainable etiology with anemia, as just changing their diet can solve their fertility problem.

Rajput R, Chatterjee S Fertil Steril May 25 2010

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