ObjectiveEpilepsy occurs with a yearly incidence of 40 per 100,000 children, of which more than 25% are resistant to drug therapy. Epilepsy may occur in autoimmunediseases like lupus, celiac disease and myasthenia gravis. In this study, therelationship between celiac disease and refractory epilepsy was evaluated inchildren with idiopathic epilepsy.Material & MethodsHundred-fifty-five children (mean age, 6.7±3.3 years) with idiopathic andcryptogenic epilepsy referred to the neurology clinic were studied in two groups;drug controlled epilepsy (control, 82 patients) and refractory epilepsy groups(case, 73 patients). Both groups underwent serological tissue transglutaminaseantibody measurement by ELISA. In seropositive cases, small intestine biopsywas conducted. Data analysis was performed using student's t test and 2 test.ResultsSeven (0.04%) patients had celiac disease based on a positive tissuetransglutaminase antibody and three patients (0.01%) based on a positive biopsy.Three patients (2.4%) with drug controlled epilepsy (control group) and fivewith refractory epilepsy (case group) had seropositive celiac disease (p=0.255).In the biopsy survey of six seropositive patients, one patient (1.2%) in the drugcontrolled epilepsy and two patients (2.7%) in the refractory epilepsy group hadpositive biopsy for celiac disease (p = 0.604). One seropositive patient did notcooperate for biopsy.ConclusionIf the relationship between celiac disease and epilepsy, especially in casesof symptomatic or oligosymptomatic celiac is proved, using gluten freediet increases the ability to control epilepsy particularly in refractory cases.We suggest celiac disease survey is not required in patients with idiopathicepilepsy
