Abstract
Purpose: To present a case who developed Bell’s palsy while using interferon alpha 2a for Behçet uveitis. Methods: A patient with Behçet disease presented with decreased vision in his right eye. Ophthalmic examination, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were performed. After developing facial paralysis while on interferon therapy, the patient was referred to our neurology service for differential diagnosis and treatment. Results: Examination of right eye revealed panuveitis with branch retinal vein occlusion, so high dose steroids were prescribed. In three days there was no improvement in terms of vitreous inflammation and so steroids were replaced with interferon. At the seventh month, patient experienced a facial paralysis. After eliminating other causes, including viral infections, trauma, cold exposure and neurological evaluation with cranial MRI, the patient was diagnosed to have Bell’s palsy by a neurologist. Interferon was replaced with mycophenolate mofetil and the Bell’s palsy was treated with oral steroids. Conclusion: It is important to be alert to both common and rare complications while treating with interferon.
Highlights
Interferon alpha 2a is a recombinant biological agent that is used for the treatment of several diseases including chronic hepatitis C, hairy cell leukemia, Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma
There is a wide variety of adverse effects due to the use of interferon alpha 2a, including flu-like syndrome, injection site reaction, proneness to serious infections, new or worsening autoimmune disease[5,6,7], myelosuppression[8,9], depression, suicide, suicidal thoughts, and cardiovascular problems[10,11] such as hypotension or hypertension, arrhythmia and myocardial infarction
Patients may suffer from nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, cough, dry mouth, dizziness, vertigo, sweating, itching, hair loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, constipation, sore throat, insomnia[12], anxiety and numbness
Summary
Bell’s palsy during interferon alpha 2a treatment in a case with Behçet uveitis [version 1; peer review: 2 approved].
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.