CD & epilepsy (cacifications)

[kickingfrog]

Coeliac disease, unilateral occipital calcifications, and drug-resistant epilepsy: successful lesionectomy


Authors: K. O. Nakken1; G. K. Røste2; E. Hauglie-Hanssen

Abstract:
Nakken KO, Røste GK, Hauglie-Hanssen E. Coeliac disease, unilateral occipital calcifications, and drug-resistant epilepsy: successful lesionectomy. Acta Neurol Scand 2005: 111: 202–204. © Blackwell Munksgaard 2005.

Purpose –
To draw attention to the triad of coeliac disease (CD), occipital calcifications, and drug-resistant epilepsy, with focus on the outcome of epilepsy surgery.

Methods –
We describe a male patient who despite a diagnosis of CD from the age of 9 did not comply with the gluten-free diet.
At the age of 11 he developed simple and complex partial seizures with visual symptoms, anxiety, and ambulatory automatisms. His epilepsy appeared to be drug resistant, and after having tried nine antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), alone or in combinations, he underwent a presurgical evaluation at the age of 30. Interictal standard electroencephalograms (EEGs) disclosed frequent biparieto-occipital epileptiform discharges. Computed tomography showed cortical–subcortical punctate calcifications in the right parieto-occipital region, where his seizures seemed to start, according to ictal EEG registrations from intracranial strip electrodes.

Results –
At the age of 31 he underwent epilepsy surgery. A 5 × 6 cm large area of the right parieto-occipital region was resected, including the area with calcifications. Except for a few short-lasting episodes of anxiety (simple partial seizures?) he has now been seizure-free for 12 years. AEDs were withdrawn 5 years ago. Postoperatively he was left with an upper left-sided quadrant anopsia, which is not bothering him.

Conclusions –
In patients with CD, unilateral occipital calcifications, and drug-resistant epilepsy, epilepsy surgery should be considered, as a lesionectomy might be very successful.
....
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2005.00337.x
Affiliations: 1: National Centre for Epilepsy, Sandvika, Norway 2: Department of Neurosurgery, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway


*************

[kickingfrog]

Epilepsy and Celiac Disease

November 1993. European Journal of Pediatrics. Authors Hilhorst MI. Brink M. Wauters EA. Houwen RH. Institution: Department of gastro-enterology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Among 783 patients referred to our institute with different types of seizures as presenting symptom, systematic evaluation of antigliadin and antiendomysial antibodies in the serum has identified nine in whom jejunal biopsy has subsequently confirmed the diagnosis of celiac disease (CD).

In three of them brain imaging showed the presence of calcified areas in the occipital region. They had complex partial seizures (CPS), associated in two with transient episodes of blindness.

www.rdos.net/copies/epilepsy-celiac.htm

*****************

Coeliac disease, epilepsy, and cerebral calcifications.

The Italian Working Group on Coeliac Disease and Epilepsy.

Gobbi G, Bouquet F, Greco L, Lambertini A, Tassinari CA, Ventura A, Zaniboni MG.

Divisione di Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Istituto per l'Infanzia, Trieste, Italy.

There have been anecdotal reports of an association between coeliac disease and epilepsy with cerebral calcifications that resemble those of the Sturge-Weber syndrome. A series of patients who had epilepsy with calcifications, in whom coeliac disease (CD) was incidentally observed, prompted us to study this association.


www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1354781