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Newsgroup: misc.kids.health
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997
From: Ron Hoggan
Subject: Re: seizures

On Wed, 30 Jul 1997 19:33:10 -0700, Linda (goldi at imperium.net) wrote:

>My four year old daughter had a seizure episode about six weeks ago.

Hi Linda,
I would like to suggest that you consider getting her tested for celiac disease. There is an associated epilepsy that, if caught quickly, will completely resolve on appropriate treatment of celiac disease...... a gluten-free diet.

Many cases are not caught very quickly, as celiac disease is taught as a gastrointestinal disease, not a neurological one. I will append some references. Blood testing at her age is not as accurate as it is for older kids or adults, so the endoscopic biopsy is the best bet.

Of course, she may not have celiac disease. But if there is a chance for her to experience total recovery, I think it is a possibility worth investigating. As you can see from the dates of the reports, knowledge of the association is very new.

I hope that is helpful.

Best Wishes,
Ron Hoggan

  1. Toti P, "Celiac disease with cerebral calcium and silica deposits: x-ray spectroscopic findings, an autopsy study" _Neurology_ 1996; 46(4): 1088-1092
  2. Baquero M, "Celiac disease with occipital calcifications: 2 late cases" _Med Clin_ (Barc) 1995; 105(20): 781-783
  3. Bhatia KP, "Progressive myoclonic ataxia associated with coeliac disease. The myoclonus is of cortical origin, but the pathology is in the cerebellum" _Brain_ 1995; 118( Pt 5): 1087-1093
  4. Lea ME, "Bilateral occipital calcification associated with celiac disease, folate deficiency, and epilepsy" _AJNR Am J Neuroradiol_ 1995; 16(7): 1498-1500 (1995)
  5. Nunes ML, "Early onset bilateral calcifications and epilepsy" _Pediatr Neurol_ 1995; 13(1): 80-82
  6. Cernibori A, "Partial seizures, cerebral calcifications and celiac disease" _Ital J Neurol Sci_ 1995; 16(3): 187-191
  7. Fois A, "Celiac disease and epilepsy in pediatric patients" _Childs Nerv Syst_ 1994; 10(7): 450-454
  8. Cohen O, "Convulsive disorder in celiac disease" _Harefuah_ 1994; 126(12): 707-710
  9. Magaudda A, "Bilateral occipital calcification, epilepsy and coeliac disease: clinical and neuroimaging features of a new syndrome" _J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry_ 1993; 56(8): 885-889
  10. Ambrosetto G, "Occipital lobe seizures related to clinically asymptomatic celiac disease in adulthood" _Epilepsia_ 1992; 33(3): 476-481
  11. Della Cella G, "Intracranial calcifications--seizures--celiac disease: a case presentation" _Pediatr Med Chir_ 1991; 13(4): 427-430
  12. Salvatoni A, "Hyponatremia and seizures during desmopressin acetate treatment in hypothyroidism" _J Pediatr_ 1990; 116(5): 835-836
  13. Molteni N, "Celiac disease associated with epilepsy and intracranial calcifications: report of two patients" _Am J Gastroenterol_ 1988; 83(9): 992-994
  14. Rush PJ, "Isolated vasculitis of the central nervous system in a patient with celiac disease" _Am J Med_ 1986; 81(6): 1092-1094