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Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
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Epilepsy, occipital calcifications, and oligosymptomatic celiac disease in childhood

Hugo A Arroyo1, Susana De Rosa, Victor Ruggieri

  • 1Department of Neurology, Hospital Nacional de Pediatría JP Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina. hugoarroyo@arnet.com.ar

Journal of Child Neurology
|February 15, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Early diagnosis and gluten-free diet therapy for epilepsy, occipital calcifications, and celiac disease syndrome in children can improve epilepsy outcomes and cognitive status.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Epilepsy, occipital calcifications, and celiac disease form a recognized syndrome.
  • This syndrome is rare, particularly outside of Italy.
  • Understanding its clinical, electrophysiologic, and neuroradiologic features is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail the clinical, electrophysiologic, and neuroradiologic characteristics of patients with this syndrome.
  • To analyze the impact of early dietary intervention on epilepsy progression.
  • To report on white-matter changes associated with the syndrome.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 32 patients diagnosed with epilepsy, occipital calcifications, and celiac disease.
  • Diagnosis of celiac disease based on European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition criteria.
  • Analysis of seizure types, epilepsy control, neuroradiologic findings (CT scans), and treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

  • All 32 patients had occipital calcifications; 31 had partial seizures, with 21 showing occipital lobe symptoms.
  • Epilepsy was generally controlled or sporadic, with 3 severe cases.
  • Computed tomography revealed white-matter hypodensities around calcifications in 7 patients, which improved in 3 on a gluten-free diet.

Conclusions:

  • A gluten-free diet, especially when initiated early, is associated with a favorable epilepsy outcome.
  • Prompt diagnosis of celiac disease may improve epilepsy evolution and cognitive status.
  • White-matter hypodensities are a notable finding in this syndrome and may be reversible with dietary therapy.

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