Ulcerative colitis presenting as sensorineural deafness, brainstem encephalopathy, and white matter lesions.
BACKGROUND
Several rare neurologic complications of ulcerative colitis have been reported.


RESULTS
We report a 69-year-old Japanese woman who developed bilateral sensorineural deafness, 2 attacks of bilateral ophthalmoplegia, and bilateral facial nerve palsy in association with ulcerative colitis. Laboratory data showed elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein without pleocytosis, abnormal auditory brainstem evoked potentials, and multiple high signal lesions on magnetic resonance imaging of the brainstem and cerebral deep white matter. Her symptoms improved with corticosteroid therapy except for sensorineural deafness and an exacerbation of cerebral deep white matter lesions without any new clinical signs.


CONCLUSIONS
Immunologic mechanisms may have led to her central and peripheral nervous system findings in addition to her colon disorder.
Nemoto
Hiroshi
H
Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, Ohashi, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. nemoto33@med.toho-u.ac.jp
Iguchi
Hiroaki
H
Ichikawa
Yasumitsu
Y
Wakata
Nobuo
N
Kurihara
Teruyuki
T
D000368:Aged; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans