Autonomic neuropathy and coeliac disease

Abstract

Coeliac disease is associated with numerous neurological manifestations including cerebellar ataxia, myelopathy, myopathy, and peripheral neuropathy. This report describes four patients who presented subacutely with presyncope and postural nausea. All four patients had biopsy proven coeliac disease with dysautonomia present on autonomic evaluation. These four patients comprised 2.4% of patients referred for autonomic testing in one year. Thus the frequency of coeliac disease is similar to that reported in idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.