DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2021.v09i11.006

Pages: 1066-1068

Celiac disease is an autoimmune enteropathy related to gluten intolerance that can have several neurological complications, including cerebellar ataxia. The mechanism involved remains poorly understood. The gluten-free diet is the mainstay of therapy, and allows a dramatic improvement in these symptoms. Observation: We report the observation of a 10-year-old patient, followed in our training for celiac disease since 2014 confirmed by a positive IgA anti transglutaminase rate and a jejunal biopsy in favor of villous atrophy, initially put on a gluten-free diet with poor compliance, she presented with a picture of cerebellar ataxia evolving in a context of apyrexia. The clinical examination on admission showed a child with cerebellar ataxia. A cerebral CT scan and a lumbar puncture were done in first intention in order to eliminate all diagnostic and therapeutic emergencies. During her hospitalization in the department, the patient benefited from an MRI showing cerebral atrophy, as well as an anti-transglutaminase and anti-gliadin antibody assay. Therapeutically, the introduction of a strict gluten-free diet allowed an improvement of the symptomatology, which allowed us to retain the celiac origin of this ataxia. Conclusion: Celiac ataxia remains a neurological complication very rarely observed in children. Reducing the duration of exposure to gluten with the Gluten Free Diet will improve the prognosis of these neurological disorders.