Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord caused by autoimmune gastritis

Abstract

A 68-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of worsening unsteady gait. Her neurological examination revealed peripheral neuropathy with lower limb sensory dominance. T2-weighted imaging revealed a disorder of the posterior cervical cord. Blood test findings revealed vitamin B12 deficiency, and gastroscopy revealed typical findings of autoimmune gastritis. She received vitamin B12 supplementation, but some peripheral neuropathy symptoms persisted due to longstanding vitamin B12 deficiency. Asymptomatic patients should undergo gastroscopy to detect autoimmune gastritis, as chronic vitamin B12 deficiency causes irreversible peripheral neuropathy.