A serial SPECT-CT study in a celiac disease patient with cerebellar ataxia and psychiatric symptoms

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated systemic disorder triggered by gluten and related prolamins in genetically predisposed individuals. Here, we described a case of a 31-year-old Caucasian woman who exhibited cerebellar and psychiatric dysfunctions. The patient underwent single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT-CT) before and after a gluten-free diet (GFD). There was an improvement in cerebellar perfusion accompanied by a remission of cerebellar manifestations. The maintenance of the psychiatric manifestations was related to the persistence of the hypoperfusion in the frontal lobes. The patient's psychiatric symptoms did not change after 4 months under a GFD in the hospital. To our knowledge, this is the first case that shows the relationship between improvement in cerebellar perfusion and remission of cerebellar clinical manifestations in a CD patient under a GFD.

Automated summary

This case study presented a 31-year-old Caucasian woman with CD who showed improvement in cerebellar perfusion and remission of cerebellar clinical manifestations after a GFD, although psychiatric symptoms persisted due to frontal lobe hypoperfusion.