Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis

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Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis

G. Federman, MD; D. Kravetz, MD; B. Ruser, MD; H. Judson, MD; S. Kirsner, MD South Med J 97(2):169-171, 2004. © 2004 Lippincott & Wilkins

Posted 03/29/2004

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

The Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is an uncommon disorder characterized by uveitis and neurologic and cutaneous abnormalities, including tinnitus, vertigo, headache, meningoencephalitis, vitiligo, alopecia, and poliosis. The VKH syndrome has been reported to occur in association with other autoimmune disorders. We report a case of a patient with severe ulcerative colitis who developed VKH syndrome. We postulate that the patient's history of a traumatic brain injury might have been responsible for an abnormal immunologic milieu and the occurrence of ulcerative colitis, VKH syndrome, and severe reactive arthritis.

Introduction

The Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome is an uncommon disorder characterized by uveitis and neurologic and cutaneous abnormalities, including tinnitus, vertigo, headache, meningoencephalitis, vitiligo, alopecia, and poliosis. Currently, VKH syndrome is thought to be a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disorder in which the process is directed against one or more antigenic components of uveal, dermal, and meningeal melanocytes. VKH syndrome is also associated with other autoimmune disorders, such as autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1,[1] hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus,[2] and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.[3] We report a patient with ulcerative colitis and VKH syndrome.