Prognostic factors in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease

To identify prognostic factors for final visual outcome, development of complications, and recurrent inflammation in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.

All patients diagnosed with acute uveitis associated with VKH disease at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital and King Abdulaziz University Hospital between January 1999 and February 2004 were reviewed. Data collected included age, gender, initial and final visual acuities, clinical findings at presentation, interval between onset of disease and starting treatment, treatment received, complications, number of recurrences, extraocular manifestations, and duration of follow-up period.

Sixty-eight patients were identified. There were 51 (75%) females and 17 (25%) males with a mean age of 25.04 ± 10.28 years (range 7–55 years). The mean follow-up period was 34.4 ± 20.1 months (range 8–62 months). The following factors were significantly associated with final visual acuity of 20/20 by univariate analysis: good initial visual acuity of better than 20/200 (p = 0.0415), absence of posterior synechiae of the iris at presentation (p = 0.0106), use of systemic corticosteroids for longer than nine months (p = 0.0479), slow tapering of systemic corticosteroids (p = 0.0024), absence of complications (p < 0.001), and absence of extraocular manifestations (p = 0.0124). Logistic regression analysis identified the use of systemic corticosteroids for longer than nine months to be associated with final visual acuity of 20/20 [odds ratio = 3.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14–10.1]. The following factors were significantly associated with the development of complications by univariate analysis: age older than 18 years (p = 0.0161), initial visual acuity of 20/200 or worse (p = 0.0011), and presence of posterior synechiae of the iris at presentation (p = 0.0453). Factors identified after logistic regression analyses were age older than 18 years (odds ratio = 3.3; 95% CI = 1.33–8.17), and presence of posterior synechiae of the iris at presentation (odds ratio = 3.42; 9% CI = 1.38–8.47). Initial visual acuity of better than 20/200 was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing complications (odds ratio = 0.283; 95% CI = 0.129–0.629). The following factors were significantly associated with recurrent inflammation of three times or more by univariate analysis: initial visual acuity of 20/200 or worse (p = 0.0179), anterior chamber reaction of more than 2+ at presentation (p < 0.001), rapid tapering of systemic corticosteroids (p < 0.001), and development of extraocular manifestations (p = 0.0277).

Clinical findings at presentation, duration and method of tapering of systemic corticosteroids, and development of extraocular manifestations are significantly associated with final visual acuity, development of ocular complications, and recurrent inflammation. The development of ocular complications was significantly associated with a worse final visual acuity.