Abstract
Purpose:
To assess the occurrence of diffuse choroidal thickening in patients with Vogt - Koyanagi - Harada syndrome.
Methods:
Patients with Vogt Koyanagi Harada (VKH) syndrome were evaluated at different stages of the disease to assess the occurrence of diffuse choridal thickening using ultrasound compared to a control group of patients who underwent cataract surgery between 2010 and 2012. The study was performed in a prospective manner in the Uveitic Clinic at the University of Buenos Aires. Data were analyzed using Fisher test and chi-square test.
Results:
We evaluated 44 patients (88 eyes) with VKH syndrome. 14 patients (31.81%) were in the acute stage, 11 (25%) in the convalescent and 19 (43.18%) in the recurrent stage. A control group of 17 patients (34 eyes) were included. Mode A and B ultrasound was performed to assess the presence or absence of choroidal thickening in both eyes. The three VKH groups were compared to the control group and among them. Out of 14 patients in the acute stage, 5 had choroidal thickening in both eyes, 2 in one eye and no choroidal thickening was found in 7. Out of 11patients in the convalescent stage, 2 had choroidal thickening in both eyes, 1 in one eye and 7 showed no choroidal thickening. Out of 19 patients in the recurrent stage, 2 had choroidal thickening in both eyes, 4 in one eye, and 13 showed no choroidal thickening. None of the patients in the control group presented choroidal thickening. When eyes with choroidal thickening either in the acute, convalescent or recurrent stages were compared to the control group, a statistically significant difference (Fisher exact test, 0.000014083, 0.00408584, 0.00689405, respectively) was observed. On the other hand, no statistically significant difference was observed when the proportion of eyes with choroidal thickening in the acute versus the convalescent, in the acute versus the recurrent and in the convalescent versus the recurrent stages were compared (Chi square critical value 3.841, the values being 2224, 3629, 0.0230, respectively).
Conclusions:
Although there was a significant difference in the presence of choroidal thickening in VKH patients independently of the stage of the disease compared to control patients, no significant difference was observed in patients with acute compared to convalescent stage, or acute vs. recurrent stage. More studies including larger numbers of patients are needed.
Keywords: 552 imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) •
745 uvea •
452 choroid