Paediatria Croatica, Vol. 64 No. 4, 2020.
Case report
https://doi.org/10.13112/PC.2020.42
Neurological manifestations and complications of autoimmune gastrointestinal diseases in children
Radenka Kuzmanić Šamija
Kristina Lovrić
Abstract
The aim was to investigate the association of neurological disorders with celiac disease and infl ammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s
disease, ulcerative colitis and indeterminate colitis) in children and adolescents. The research was conducted retrospectively by
collecting data from available hospital documentation at Department of Paediatrics, Split University Hospital Centre, during the
period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019. The study included 122 patients diagnosed with infl ammatory bowel disease or
celiac disease. The following data were analysed: sex and age at the time of autoimmune bowel disease diagnosis, presence and
type of neurological symptoms, and age at the onset of disease manifestation. The greatest proportion of patients suff ered from
Crohn’s disease (35.2%), followed by ulcerative colitis (30.3%) and celiac disease (27.9%). The proportion of children with neurological
symptoms was 32.4% in patients with celiac disease, 16.2% in those with ulcerative colitis and 4.7% in those with Crohn’s disease. The
proportion of children with neurological symptoms was higher in patients with celiac disease than in those with infl ammatory
bowel disease, and there was a statistically signifi cant association of neurological symptoms with the type of disease (p=0.005). The
most common neurological symptom in the study group was headache; other neurological manifestations were epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease, pervasive developmental disorder, psychomotor developmental delay and tics. In conclusion, infl ammatory bowel
diseases and celiac disease are chronic diseases that require long-term follow-up by a gastroenterologist; however, although neurological manifestations are uncommon, some patients develop them, so timely recognition is important, and long-term follow-up by
neurologists may be necessary in adulthood.
Keywords
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES; CELIAC DISEASE; NEUROLOGIC MANIFESTATIONS
Hrčak ID:
251946
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2020.
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