Long-term Outcomes of Uveitis Associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease in the Pediatric Age Group

Author: Abdulrahman AlBloushi (Saudi Arabia)

Co-authors: Saad AlEnezi, Adi Al Owaifeer, Omar Al-Hadlaq, Priscilla Gikandi, Ahmed Abu El-Asrar

Purpose

To investigate the outcomes of uveitis associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease in pediatric age group (aged 16 years and under).

Setting/Venue

A retrospective review of patients with VKH disease.

Methods

All patients with uveitis associated with VKH disease who were seen at the Uveitis Clinic of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January 1998 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Children with a history of ocular trauma or intra-ocular surgeries were excluded

Results

Among the 244 patients identified, 38 (76 eyes) were children. Among them, 5 had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. At presentation, 21 presented with initial-onset acute disease and 17 with chronic recurrent disease. The mean follow-up period was 59.1 months. At presentation, chronic recurrent disease was associated with more severe inflammation as indicated by presence of mutton-fat keratic precipitates (p<0.001), iris nodules (p=0.005) and posterior synechiae (p < 0.001). During follow-up, rate of complications was more in children with chronic recurrent disease compared with initial-onset acute disease (p<0.001). 92.4% of the eyes with initial-onset acute disease achieved final visual acuity of ≥20/40 compared with 70.6% of the eyes with chronic recurrent disease (p=0.013).

Conlusions

Chronic recurrent VKH disease in children is associated with worse outcomes.

Financial Disclosure

I have no financial interest to disclose

Comments

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