Association of Vogt Koyanagi Harada Syndrome and Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vogt Koyanagi Harada (VKH) Syndrome is a rarely-seen multi-systemic, autoimmuneand inflammatory disease. It observed frequently with neurologic, auditory and skin manifestations andcharacterized with bilateral, chronic and diffused granulomatous panuveitis. It generally affects womenin young-adult period.CASE: A 57 year-old female patient applied to a special center one year ago with a complaint of decreasein the sight acuity of the right eye. The right eye was operated on with cataract diagnosis. Uveitis wasdeveloped firstly in the right eye and then in the left eye after the operation. Having complaints aboutuveitis, tinnitus and hear loss, the patient was diagnosed with VKH syndrome. The pains started to be feltin small hand joints and both of the two ankles. The pains were increasing especially in the morningsand during rest. The duration of morning stiffness was two hours in hand and foot joints. The patienthad had lumbar pain with mechanic characteristic for five years.CONCLUSION: Being diagnosed with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA), our case is presentedbecause VKH syndrome is rarely seen in Turkey, and the joint findings are at the forefront.