# Gastrointestinal Manifestations As the Initial Presentation of Neurological Disease

## TL;DR

This paper discusses a rare case where gastrointestinal issues were the first sign of myotonic dystrophy in a young adult.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in highlighting gastrointestinal symptoms as an initial indicator of a neurological disorder.

## Key findings

- Chronic diarrhea was the first symptom of myotonic dystrophy in a young adult.
- The patient had a history of diabetes mellitus and early onset cataract.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms can precede musculoskeletal issues in myotonic dystrophy.

## Abstract

Myotonic dystrophy (MD) is a multi-system autosomal dominant disorder characterised by progressive muscular weakness, with ocular, cardiac, and endocrine involvement. Gastrointestinal manifestations are not a classical feature of myotonic dystrophy and are hence often misdiagnosed if they precede musculoskeletal manifestations. We present a rare case of chronic diarrhoea as the initial manifestation of myotonic dystrophy in a young adult male with a history of diabetes mellitus and early onset cataract.