Case Report

Anterior Uveitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Ankylosing Spondylitis in a HLA-B27-positive Woman

Authors: E Mitchell Singleton, MD, FACS, Sanford E. Hutson, MD, FAAFP

Abstract

A woman developed anterior uveitis at age 24, inflammatory bowel disease at age 29, and ankylosing spondylitis at age 45 by history. There were frequent recurrences. An HLA-B27 test was positive at age 53. The literature indicates that all of these conditions together in a HLA-B27-positive woman are uncommon. Physicians should be alert to the possibility that a patient might develop another of these associated diseases years after presentation of the first condition and educate their patients accordingly.


Key Points


* Statistics from the literature indicate that the presence of all three conditions in a HLA-B27-positive woman is uncommon.


* Anyone presenting with any of these entities should be questioned specifically and warned about the possibility of the other associated conditions they or their family may experience in future years.

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