UVEITIS AND CELIAC DISEASE: ABOUT TWO CASES

Case Reports: A 25-year-old woman, suffering from chronic diarrhea since childhood, was referred to our Ophthalmology Department for blurred vision; clinical and angiographic examinations revealed bilateral panuveitis with chlorio- retinal involvement. The diagnosis of celiac disease was made through jejunal biopsy. Laboratory investigations showed no evidence of other causes of uveitis. A 11-year-old girl who had a history of familial celiac disease confirmed by bowel biopsy; she has been on a gluten-free diet for several years. She complained of visual loss in her left eye. Ocular examination disclosed a pars planitis with severe macular edema. Etiologic investigations of uveitis were negative. In both cases, the ophthalmologic features improved significantly under gluten-free diet and general steroid therapy. Conclusion: The association of celiac disease and uveitis seems to have a certain morbid linkage. Ophthalmologic evaluations must be done in all patients with celiac disease.