title: Ulcerative colitis presenting as sensorineural deafness, brainstem encephalopathy, and white matter lesions.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University School of Medicine, Ohashi, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. nemoto33@med.toho-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Yasumitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wakata
authors.forename: Teruyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurihara
mesh_terms: 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