Abstract
Purpose: :
To describe the clinical features and management of Vogt Koyanagi Harada (VKH) patients (p) in an argentine population.
Methods: :
A retrospective chart review of 105 VKH p who attended at the Uveitis clinic from january 1980 to december 2008, were analyzed. Patients were classified according to the initiation of treatment. Group 1: High dose of corticosteroids within 2 weeks of illness onset. Group 2: High dose of corticosteroids after 2 weeks of illness onset but before a month. Group 3: Low doses of corticosteroids, or high dose but > 1 month of illness onset.
Results: :
There were 210 eyes. Mean age of patients was 43,76 ±14 years, mean age of illness onset was 32,64 ±13 years, mean disease duration 144 ±96,62 months. Exudative retinal detachment was the most frequent symptom at onset (45,69%). Patients on high dose steroids (n=56) had significantly higher visual acuity compared to those who did not (n=136), (p<0,0001), and none of them had light perception at the end of follow up, while 13,14% of patients in Group 3 had light perception (p<0,004). Complications occurred more frequently in Group 3 compared to Group 1, 78,79% vs 56,14% (p=0,001), and in Group 2 (58,62%) vs Group 3 (77,86%) (p=0,001).
Conclusions: :
Patients with early high dose of corticosteroids and adequate time of exposure presented better visual acuity and less complications.
Keywords: uvea • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications • choroid