In Crohn's disease, neurologic complications such as cerebrovascular accident, headache, peripheral neuropathy have been reported sporadically. The pathogenesis of these neurologic complications is still unknown and controversial. We experienced a 22-year-old man, with Crohn's disease accompanied by optic neuritis. Loss of visual acuity was developed during the worsening course of enterocutaneous fistula. After high dose steroid treatment, his visual acuity and neurologic symptoms improved immediately.
Adult ; Crohn Disease/*complications/drug therapy/pathology ; Humans ; Intestinal Fistula/complications ; Male ; Optic Neuritis/*complications/diagnosis

Adult ; Humans ; Methylprednisolone ; therapeutic use ; Optic Neuritis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; complications

A 21-year-old woman presented with bilateral optic neuritis, combined with central retinal vein occlusion. General physical examination and neurologic consultation revealed no other findings. Laboratory investigation yielded an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positive LE preparation, elevated ANA titer, and elevated blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. Diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was made. Renal failure developed quickly and she was treated with hemodialysis, transfusion and subsequently systemic corticosteroid. Anti-phospholipid antibody was positive to lupus anti-coagulant and the titer was normalized after 2-month steroid therapy at which time the visual outcome differed between the eyes. The right eye showed improvement in visual acuity and visual field, but the left eye was not improved and retained a central scotoma. SLE needs to be considered in young women with optic neuritis when other causes of optic neuritis have been excluded, and serologic tests including anti-phospholipid antibody should be conducted.
Adult ; Case Report ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Human ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Optic Neuritis/*diagnosis/drug therapy/etiology ; Perimetry ; Prednisolone/*therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic vasculitis that affects the aortic arch and its primary branches. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. Patients diagnosed with both TA and UC have rarely been reported. The pathogenesis of TA and UC is uncertain, but cell-mediated mechanisms play an important role in both diseases, and a genetic factor is thought to have an effect on the coincidence of these two diseases. We herein report a 38-year-old female with TA who had a history of UC with optic neuritis. We believe that this is the first case of the coexistence of TA and UC in Korea.
Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Aortography/methods ; Colitis, Ulcerative/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Optic Neuritis/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Republic of Korea ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Takayasu Arteritis/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome