Screening studies of healthy volunteers have determined that coeliac disease affects 1% of the European population. Despite this the majority of cases are unrecognized. Coeliac disease may occasionally present as an acute emergency. Recent data, however, suggest that cases of undiagnosed coeliac disease may present to emergency departments with nonspecific abdominal pain. This review provides an update of the published data on coeliac disease. We discuss the relationship between coeliac disease and abdominal pain and ways in which this may change emergency physicians practice.