title: Prevalence of celiac disease in children with idiopathic epilepsy in southeast Turkey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We examined the prevalence of celiac disease in children with idiopathic epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were screened for celiac disease using the immunoglobulin A anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and small intestinal biopsy were offered to all antibody-positive patients. The control group consisted of 400 healthy children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 600 patients (332 boys, 268 girls; 8 months-15 years; 9.40 ± 4.09 years) were studied. In 38 patients, the diagnosis was childhood partial epilepsy with occipital paroxysms. Six of the 38 patients with childhood partial epilepsy with occipital paroxysms (15.7%) had positive immunoglobulin A anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody. The frequency of biopsy-proven celiac disease was 15.7% (6/38) among children with childhood partial epilepsy with occipital paroxysms. None of the control patients had positive immunoglobulin A anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the prevalence of celiac disease in children with partial epilepsy with occipital paroxysms may be higher than with other types of epilepsies. It may be reasonable to screen individuals with this type of epilepsy for celiac disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Gaziantep Children's Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey. Electronic address: dr.sedatisikay@mynet.com.
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Işıkay
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Gaziantep Children's Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kocamaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: celiac disease; childhood partial epilepsy with occipital paroxysm; children; epilepsy