Orbital myositis last year and now Crohn’s disease: A case report of a rare association

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which extraintestinal manifestations may occur before the onset of intestinal symptoms. Ocular manifestations, such as orbital myositis, are extremely rare as initial presentations. We present an interesting case of a 10-year-old female who presented with fever, abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea, and purulent rectal drainage and was subsequently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Notably, she had been diagnosed with orbital myositis the previous year after presenting with right-greater-than-left eyelid drooping, swelling, pain, and redness. This case underscores the importance of recognizing the rare yet clinically significant association between orbital myositis and Crohn’s disease. Awareness of this relationship may facilitate prompt diagnosis and earlier therapeutic intervention, potentially preventing disease progression or complications. Clinicians should consider inflammatory bowel disease in their differential diagnosis workup of patients presenting with initial symptoms concerning for orbital myositis.