Transient Periictal Brain Imaging Abnormality in a Saudi Patient with Probable Celiac Disease Epilepsy and Occipital Calcification Syndrome

Abstract

Celiac disease epilepsy and occipital calcification (CEC) syndrome is a rare, emerging disease first described in 1992. To date, fewer than 200 cases have been reported worldwide. CEC syndrome is generally thought to be a genetic, noninherited, and ethnically and geographically restricted disease in Mediterranean countries. However, we report the first ever case of probable CEC in a Saudi patient. Furthermore, the patient manifested a magnitude of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal abnormalities during the periictal period which, to the best of our knowledge, has never been described in CEC. The brain MRI revealed diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) restriction with a concordant area of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) hypointensity around bilateral occipital area of calcification. An imbalance between the heightened energy demand during ictal phase of the seizure and unadjusted blood supply may have caused an electric pump failure and cytotoxic edema, which then led to DWI/ADC signal alteration.