Idiopathic cerebellar ataxia associated with celiac disease: lack of distinctive neurological features.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the occurrence of celiac disease in a population of ataxic patients without definite diagnosis and to characterise distinctive features which may help to differentiate cerebellar ataxia with and without celiac disease.


METHODS
Twenty four ataxic patients without definite diagnosis (group A) and 23 ataxic patients with definite diagnosis (group B) were screened for antigliadin (AGAs) and antiendomysium antibodies (EMAs). Patients with a positive AGA or EMA test underwent endoscopic biopsy of the duodenal mucosa.


RESULTS
There was an increased prevalence of celiac disease in group A (3/24) compared with group B (0/23). None of the celiac patients presented gastrointestinal symptoms or malabsorption signs. None of the ataxic patients with celiac disease had early onset ataxia.


CONCLUSIONS
Celiac disease is associated with ataxic syndromes without definite diagnosis, suggesting that it plays a part in the pathogenesis of some ataxic syndromes. The absence of distinctive neurological features in ataxic patients with celiac disease suggests that a search should be made for celiac disease markers in all ataxic patients without definite diagnosis.
Pellecchia
M T
MT
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Sistematica-Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy.
Scala
R
R
Filla
A
A
De Michele
G
G
Ciacci
C
C
Barone
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005903:Gliadin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000502:physiology
D000906:Antibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D005903:Gliadin