[Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease. Characteristics of a series of Andalusian patients].

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

To describe the characteristics of a series of patients diagnosed of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKHD) and controlled by an Uveitis Unit (composed of ophthalmologists and internists) in our population.

PATIENTS AND METHOD:

Retrospective descriptive study of 11 patients with VKHD (5 males and 6 women; median age at diagnosis 32.6 years old) followed-up between 1980 and 2003.

RESULTS:

All patients suffered panuveitis and/or exudative retinal detachment. Extraocular signs were present in all cases: neurological in 63.7% (aseptic meningitis and/or focal symptoms), cutaneous in 81.8% (vitiligo, whiteness, poliosis, alopecia), neurosensorial hypoacusis (50% of patients with audiometry), and general symptoms in 25%. They all received systemic corticosteroids. Cyclosporine was added in 5 patients (45.4%) with posterior uveitis, and azathioprine in 2 of them for iridocyclitis. The final visual acuity was 0.5 or better in 81.8% of cases, but 2 patients had an unfavourable evolution (one, who had cataract and band keratopathy in the left eye and severe visual worsening, needed right vitrectomy, and the other suffered severe ocular hypotension). Complications developed in 2 other patients: cataract and glaucoma in one, and synechiae without glaucoma in the other.

CONCLUSIONS:

We found less frequency of exudative retinal detachment and greater frequency of cutaneous signs than the communicated. A significant percentage of cases needed immunosuppressive agents. Final visual acuity was good in the majority of patients.

• Authors: F J García Hernández, C Ocaña Medina, M J Castillo Palma, J Sánchez Román, T Rueda Rueda, M C Pulido Aguilera, F López Checa
• Journal: Revista clinica espanola (Rev Clin Esp) Vol. 206 Issue 8 Pg. 388-91 (Sep 2006) ISSN: 0014-2565 [Print] Spain
• Vernacular Title: Enfermedad de Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada. Características de un grupo de pacientes andaluces.
• PMID: 16863625 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Catchment Area, Health
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Prevalence
• Retrospective Studies
• Severity of Illness Index
• Spain (epidemiology)
• Uveitis (epidemiology)
• Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome (drug therapy, epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Visual Acuity (physiology)