Ulcerative colitis and total alopecia in a mother and her son

Extraintestinal autoimmune disorders are associated with ulcerative colitis in selected patients and lend support to the theory of immune-mediated injury in inflammatory bowel disease. Rarely, alopecia areata has been associated with ulcerative colitis, and familial aggregation and an HLA association have been reported for both disorders. The occurrence of both alopecia and ulcerative colitis in a mother and son are reported with a detailed investigation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and HLA alleles in this family. Treatment with the immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine proved beneficial in the child leading to remission of the ulcerative colitis and nascent growth of scalp and body hair.