Dermatitis Herpetiformis is associated with coeliac disease. Sufferers not only have gluten intolerance in food, but also in contact with the skin. It is also referred to as "coeliac disease of the skin". Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is a chronic disease of the skin marked by groups of watery, itchy blisters that may resemble pimples or blisters.

This itchy skin condition starts abruptly, affecting the elbows, knees, buttocks, scalp and back. The ingestion of gluten (from wheat, rye, and barley) triggers an immune system response that deposits a substance, lgA (Immunoglobulin A), under the top layer of skin. IgA is present in affected as well as unaffected skin. DH is a hereditary autoimmune gluten intolerance disease linked with celiac disease. If you have DH, you always have gluten intolerance. With DH, the primary lesion is on the skin, whereas with celiac disease the lesions are in the small intestine. The degree of damage to the small intestine is often less severe or more patchy than those with Celiac disease. Both diseases are permanent and symptoms/damage will occur after consuming gluten.

Dermatitis Herpetiformis Related Disorders Thyroid disease is most commonly associated with DH. Other autoimmune disorders that people with CD are at greater risk to develop include Addison' s disease, Autoimmune Chronic Active Hepatitis, Alopecia Areata, Graves' disease, Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus (type 1), Myasthenia Gravis, Scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and Thyroid disease. This is not a complete list. Thyroid diseases and diabetes are the two most commonly associated diseases. It is not uncommon to have other skin conditions as well.