A Muslim Family with Several Members with Celiac Disease and Other Autoimmune Disorders

The Bedouin community of Israel is a traditional Muslim society. It is characterized by one of the highest rates of population growth in the world. The custom of intermarriage, especially among cousins or within the extended family, is very common because of the community’s tribal structure. The rate of genetic disease in this population is high. We present a Bedouin family in which the father suffers from celiac disease and Hashimoto’s disease, his daughter has celiac and Crohn’s disease, three other children have IgA deficiency, and a half uncle has Crohn’s disease. In describing this family we present the familial nature of these diseases, the age at diagnosis, the marital relationships of the family members and co-morbid diseases and medical conditions. Family doctors can develop and use genograms that can facilitate their understanding of the situation and enable them to develop plans for health promotion and disease prevention counseling in the community.