Central neurologic involvement in Crohn's disease

Introduction. - Neurological involvement in Crohn's disease is unusual. Exegesis. - We report two cases of Crohn's disease. Central nervous system deficit was observed in the first patient, while psychiatric disorders were present in the second patient. In both cases, MRI confirmed the presence of a T2 hypersignal in the white matter. Conclusion. - Central neurological disorders could either be part of extra-intestinal symptoms in Crohn's disease or precede diagnosis. However; their frequency is not well known or documented. The association of Crohn's disease with multiple sclerosis may obscure the diagnosis. Cerebrovascular accident, seizures headaches focal neurological deficits, or sometimes severe psychiatric disorders are encountered. Numerous pathophysiological hypotheses have been advocated. The high frequency abnormalities Bat have been observed during systematic MRI provide confirmation of the hypothesis of neurological disorders occurring during Crohn's disease. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.