Unilateral keratitis in Cogan’s syndrome: A case report

Miri, Kheizaran; Namazinia, Mohammad; Bagheri, Pouya; Khatibi, Seyed Reza

Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2025) jmsthums 2025, 13(2): 80-86 | Back to browse issues page

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Miri K, Namazinia M, Bagheri P, Khatibi S R. Unilateral keratitis in Cogan’s syndrome: A case report. jmsthums 2025; 13 (2) :80-86
URL: http://jms.thums.ac.ir/article-1-1430-en.html

Unilateral keratitis in Cogan’s syndrome: A case report

Kheizaran Miri¹

, Mohammad Namazinia¹

, Pouya Bagheri²

, Seyed Reza Khatibi³

1- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
2- Student Research Committee, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
3- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran

Abstract: (6 Views)

Background & Aim: Cogan's syndrome (CS) is a rare autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorder with an unknown pathogenesis, primarily observed in young adults. The two main features of this disease include bilateral interstitial keratitis and auditory–vestibular disorders. Moreover, an association between CS, systemic vasculitis, and aortitis has been reported. Diagnosis of this disease is typically based on the presence of uveitis and auditory–vestibular symptoms.
Case Presentation: This report describes a rare case of Cogan's syndrome in a 27-year-old woman who was referred to 9th Dey Hospital in Torbat-e Heydarieh in 2023. Eight months before admission, the patient suddenly developed a severe headache, imbalance, visual impairment, and bilateral hearing loss. Non-syphilitic keratitis with auditory–vestibular symptoms was diagnosed. The unique feature of this case was the occurrence of unilateral keratitis in the context of Cogan's syndrome, whereas most previous reports have described bilateral corneal involvement. Diagnosing this disease in rural areas is challenging due to the lack of access to advanced genetic and immunological tests, requiring clinical judgment and teamwork among healthcare providers for appropriate referrals. This aspect adds another distinctive dimension to the case.
Conclusion: Cogan's syndrome is a rare disease with an unknown etiology. Since there is no specific diagnostic test, diagnosis is primarily based on the exclusion of other differential diagnoses. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common and severe complication of this disease. If not treated in a timely manner, it can profoundly affect patients’ quality of life.

Keywords: Cogan's syndrome, Rare Cogan's syndrome, Keratitis, Auditory disorders, Case report

Full-Text [PDF 192 kb] (9 Downloads)

Type of Study: case report | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/12/19 | Accepted: 2025/05/11 | Published: 2025/11/16

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