Help please, is this dermatitis herpetiformis?

[Marshmallow99]

Hi,

I recently went to the doctor with some health issues and they are doing blood tests, stool tests etc. I forgot to mention this as it’s only just flared up.

See pics. For a few years I’ve been getting these spots on my elbows, and less often knees. It comes and goes every few months or so, sometimes slightly itchy but never really to the itchy extent I think people with eczema get. It’s always worse on one elbow/knee. 
 

Any help will be massively appreciated.

[Marshmallow99]

1st photo was elbow, this is knee:

[Scott Adams]

Hi @Marshmallow99 and welcome to the forum!

I don't see the little clear blister heads, but certainly the areas where you are affected, and the general look, are consistent with DH, so you may want to get to a dermatologist who can biopsy for DH. The process is very specific, and must be done correctly, so be sure to ask them beforehand if they can do this.

Have you every had a blood panel done for celiac disease? DH is the skin manifestation of celiac disease.

[Marshmallow99]

On 3/1/2021 at 7:38 PM, Scott Adams said:

Hi @Marshmallow99 and welcome to the forum!

I don't see the little clear blister heads, but certainly the areas where you are affected, and the general look, are consistent with DH, so you may want to get to a dermatologist who can biopsy for DH. The process is very specific, and must be done correctly, so be sure to ask them beforehand if they can do this.

Have you every had a blood panel done for celiac disease? DH is the skin manifestation of celiac disease.

Hi @Scott Adams

Thanks very much for your helpful reply. Sorry picture quality isn’t great due to upload size, I’ve attached another if that’s any better.

 

It’s now gotten worse on my other elbow and knee, and more itchy. It’s been coming and going over 2 years. 

 

Think I have had a blood panel, possibly not celiac directly but not sure. This year and 2 years ago went to Dr saying I had bowel problems, bloating etc and have felt like something is wrong in the stomach area for years, either to do with the gut or female things (bad periods and associated symptoms).

 

On my recent blood test tissue transglutaminase IGA levels were at 0.5 U/mL, as they were 2 years ago, and from reading think that is a negative result for celiac disease? 

 

Other options I’ve looked at are eczema or ‘granuloma annulare’. If there is any other advice you could give that would be appreciated. Thank you 

[Scott Adams]

It looks like it could be DH, but again, to be sure you'd need to see a dermatologist.

Do you have the full results, and the scale used on your TTG test? I can't really comment on it without more info, as the scale used changes depending on the lab used.