Celiac Disease Presenting as Hypokalemic Quadriparesis

Abstract

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder induced by dietary gluten, characterized by a chronic inflammatory state of the small intestinal mucosa, resulting in villous atrophy that resolves with gluten free diet. A small number have classical symptoms and the majority present as atypical celiac disease with absent or few GI symptoms. Celiac crisis is a rare life threatening complication of celiac disease which needs prompt recognition and intervention. We report a rare case of Celiac disease which presented as Celiac crisis with hypokalemic quadriparesis.