A boy with Asperger’s disorder, Crohn’s disease and epilepsy

Abstract

Asperger’s disorder (AD) is a pervasive developmental disorder that is part of autism spectrum disorders. It is characterized by daydreaming, hallucinations and disregard of external reality. The feeding habits of these patients are often peculiar and inadequate, and therefore frequently ascribed to the clinical features of pervasive developmental spectrum. Besides neurological disorders, these children often complain of gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort such as constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and abdominal distension. Most of these signs are also present in chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Apart from neurological disorders, pathohistological changes in the GI tract of autistic children have also been described. On the basis of these findings the term “autistic enterocolitis” has been suggested as an independent diagnosis. However, recent studies question the reliability of this tenet. Here we describe a patient with AD, Crohn’s disease and epilepsy. This finding stresses the need for the completion of basic algorithm examinations in autistic children.