[Headache as atypical presentation of celiac disease: report of a clinical case]

Coeliac disease (CD) is a gluten dependent enteropathy with genetic predisposition. The introduction of the gluten with the diet leads to a damage of the intestinal mucosa losing the ability of absorption. Together with the "classic forms", in wich the intestinal symptomatology is prevalent, there are atypical forms, with unusual clinical presentation and silent forms with no clinical symptoms. The neurologic symptoms are not frequent and regard seizures, headache, ataxia and psychiatric problems. We report on a patient with headache since 3 years of age in which the headache the only manifestation of CD. The diagnosis of CD was made at 11 years, when he came at our observation for episodes of headache. Also the older sister is found affected by CD. After three months of gluten free diet, it was obtained the complete resolution of the headache. Also if the pathogenesis of the headache in patient with CD is unknown we think that a autoimmune, vascular or blood flow mechanism could be ipotizeable.