UVEITIS WITH ASSOCIATED ALOPECIA, POLIOSIS, VITILIGO AND DEAFNESS: REPORT OF A CASE

The literature contains reports of twenty-one cases of this form of uveitis. Koyanagi,¹ in 1929, reviewed statistically the ten previously reported cases and added six observed by himself. His review included the first case to be reported, that by Vogt² in 1906, and subsequent cases reported by K. Komoto,³ J. Komoto,⁴ Maseda,⁵ Tsugi,⁶ Hata and Herada⁷ and Arisoida.⁸ Since 1929 further contributions have been made by Gilbert,⁹ Parker¹⁰ and Rones.¹¹

There is a marked similarity between this disease and sympathetic ophthalmia, both in the ocular findings and in the associated complications. Vitiligo, alopecia, deafness and poliosis have been reported as occurring in association with sympathtic ophthalmia, although rarely. The clinical picture of this form of uveitis is that of a severe bilateral sympathetic ophthalmia.

ETIOLOGY

As in many other clinical conditions, syphilis has been suggested as the cause