Bilateral Phlyctenular Keratoconjunctivitis in the Context of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Case Report and Literature Review.

PURPOSE: To report a case of severe bilateral phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis (PKC) associated to hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).

CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old male with reactivation of HS in the last few months presented with concurrent pain and vision loss secondary to bilateral PKC resistant to topical treatment. There were no other infectious or autoimmune disorders. Systemic immunosuppression was needed, with simultaneous improvement of the ophthalmological and dermatological findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Different inflammatory eye diseases have been reported in the context of HS. Acute inflammation in HS reactivation would trigger an autoimmune response, acting as a common causal mechanism in this association. We have reported a new case of inflammatory eye disease - HS in the form of PKC, not previously described in the literature, and consistent with immune dysregulation where the systemic Staphylococcus aureus burden due to HS may act as an additional causal factor.