Lymphocytic leukemia presenting as acute Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease

Leukemia commonly involves eyes and adnexae. It is unusual, however for leukemia to present with visual complaints. There are only rare case reports of a leukemic patient presenting with bilateral exudative retinal detachment. This report describes a case of bilateral exudative retinal detachment associated with prodromal symptoms simulating the presentation of acute Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease that was eventually diagnosed as acute lymphocytic leukemia. There was rapid settling of the exudative detachment and improvement in vision when the patient received chemotherapy. Bilateral exudative retinal detachment associated with neurologic and auditory abnormalities may be a presenting sign of acute lymphocytic leukemia in an otherwise healthy young adult. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of leukemia in such patients. A simple blood investigation such as complete blood profile confirms the diagnosis.