Which laboratory finding is commonly associated with pediatric celiac disease?

Which laboratory finding is commonly associated with pediatric celiac disease?

• A. Iron deficiency anemia
• B. Hyperkalemia
• C. Hypothyroidism
• D. Hyperglycemia

Answer: (A)

In pediatric celiac disease, damage to the proximal small intestine reduces the absorption of iron, making iron deficiency anemia a common lab finding. Iron is mainly absorbed in the duodenum; when the intestinal villi are blunted, iron uptake falls, stores become depleted, and red blood cells become microcytic and hypochromic. Patients may present with fatigue, pallor, and poor growth, and labs typically show low ferritin, low serum iron, low transferrin saturation, and often a reduced mean corpuscular volume. Other options don’t fit as typical findings: hyperkalemia isn’t a characteristic feature of celiac disease and would suggest a different issue; hypothyroidism and hyperglycemia are not commonly associated lab abnormalities of celiac disease, though autoimmune conditions can co-occur, they aren’t the usual presenting lab sign. Iron deficiency anemia best aligns with how malabsorption in celiac disease manifests in children.

In pediatric celiac disease, damage to the proximal small intestine reduces the absorption of iron, making iron deficiency anemia a common lab finding. Iron is mainly absorbed in the duodenum; when the intestinal villi are blunted, iron uptake falls, stores become depleted, and red blood cells become microcytic and hypochromic. Patients may present with fatigue, pallor, and poor growth, and labs typically show low ferritin, low serum iron, low transferrin saturation, and often a reduced mean corpuscular volume.

Other options don’t fit as typical findings: hyperkalemia isn’t a characteristic feature of celiac disease and would suggest a different issue; hypothyroidism and hyperglycemia are not commonly associated lab abnormalities of celiac disease, though autoimmune conditions can co-occur, they aren’t the usual presenting lab sign. Iron deficiency anemia best aligns with how malabsorption in celiac disease manifests in children.