Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025
Recognition of Epidermal Transglutaminase by IgA and Tissue Transglutaminase 2 Antibodies in a Rare Case of Rhesus Dermatitis
Published on: December 15, 2011
A Neurological Appearance of Celiac Disease: Is There Any Associated Factor?
Dilek Cavusoglu1, Nihal Olgac Dundar2, Ozgur Oztekin3
1From the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon.
Insights
Neurological symptoms affect nearly a quarter of children with celiac disease, with headache and dizziness being most common. Female sex and specific genetic factors are linked to these neurological issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Background:
- Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder, can manifest with neurological symptoms.
- Understanding the incidence and characteristics of these neurological manifestations in children is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of neurological signs and symptoms in children diagnosed with celiac disease.
- To identify factors associated with neurological involvement in pediatric celiac disease.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 146 children diagnosed with celiac disease.
- Review of medical records including symptoms, clinical findings, serology, biopsy, vitamin levels, HLA typing, and autoimmune comorbidities.
- Analysis of demographic and clinical data.
Main Results:
- 23.9% of celiac patients (35/146) had neurological findings, most commonly headache (11.6%) and dizziness (6.1%).
- Neurological manifestations were significantly associated with female sex, specific biopsy results (Marsh grade 3a), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2 heterozygosity.
- Neuroimaging revealed rare findings like ischemic lesions, Chiari malformation, and white matter changes.
Conclusions:
- Neurological involvement in celiac disease is multifactorial.
- Female sex, milder histopathological forms (e.g., Marsh 3a), and HLA-DQ2 heterozygosity are associated with neurological manifestations.
- HLA-DQ2 heterozygosity is specifically linked to headache in pediatric celiac disease.
Objective:
Celiac disease may present with one or more neurological signs and/or symptoms. We aimed to define the incidence of accompanying neurological manifestations in children diagnosed as having celiac disease.
Methods:
The prospective study included 146 children diagnosed as having celiac disease. The medical records (presentation symptoms, clinical findings, serological test, duodenal biopsy results, lack/deficiency of vitamin, tissue type, accompanying autoimmune disorders) and demographic data of all patients were also reviewed.
Results:
Thirty-five (23.9%) of the 146 celiac patients exhibited one or more neurological findings. Headache (11.6%) and dizziness (6.1%) were the most common symptoms among neurological manifestations. There was a significant difference between the patients with and without neurological manifestations in terms of sex, biopsy result, and tissue type (P < 0.05). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference between tissue types of the patients with and without headache (P < 0.05). We found that grade 3a by Marsh classification was the most common type among the patients with and without neurological findings in celiac disease. On neuroimaging evaluation of patients, 1 patient with chronic focal ischemic lesion, 1 patient with Chiari type 1 malformation, and 1 patient with subcortical white matter changes were identified.
Conclusions:
Pathophysiology of neurological involvement in celiac disease is liable for various neurological findings. This study contributes to data suggesting that female sex, mild histopathological form, and human leukocyte antigen DQ2 heterozygosity are related to neurological manifestations, and also human leukocyte antigen DQ2 heterozygosity is associated with headache in celiac disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are:
01:30Other Disorders of Digestive System
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:25Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Disease States and Pharmacology
Substances such as alcohol and specific drugs, including antineoplastics, can also negatively impact drug absorption. For instance,...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...