Retinal vasculitis in Crohn's disease

Although systemic vasculitis is a prominent part of the extraintestinal complications of Crohn's disease, the association of a retinal vasculitis with this chronic granulomatous disease of the gastrointestinal system is rare. We examined a 26-year-old woman with biopsy-proven Crohn's disease who developed a severe bilateral, obliterative retinal arteritis and phlebitis, leading to a marked loss of vision. Treatment with systemic corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide succeeded in halting progression of the disease.