Celiac Crisis in a 64-Year-Old Woman: An Unusual Cause of Severe Diarrhea, Acidosis, and Malabsorption

Celiac disease (CD) rarely presents with life-threatening complications in older individuals. We report a 64-year-old woman who presented with profuse diarrhea, weight loss, hemodynamic instability, hypokalemia, hypoproteinemia, acidosis, and vitamin and iron deficiency. Pathologic and serologic studies confirmed CD presenting with celiac crisis with extensive and severe intestinal disease. Although celiac crisis occurs mostly in childhood and early adulthood, it should be considered in adults presenting with acute severe diarrheal illness, electrolyte abnormalities, and malabsorption.