The spectrum of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease in Iran

To report the spectrum of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease in Persians.

This is a retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with VKH disease at four referral centers in Iran. Patients' demographics, ocular and extraocular manifestations, treatment modalities, complications, and visual outcomes were collected and analyzed.

Eighty-eight patients with a mean age of 32.1 ± 12.6 years (range 7-79 years) were studied. Fifty-nine patients (67.0%) were female. Sunset glow fundus was seen in 40.9%, and nummular peripheral chorioretinal scars in 55.7% of eyes. Integumentary findings were noticed in 14.8% of the patients. In patients with acute presentation, exudative retinal detachment was the most common ocular finding (87.8%) followed by optic disk swelling (71.4%). Anterior uveitis and vitritis each were found in about half of the studied eyes. Auditory symptoms were reported by 38.8% of the patients. Overall, immunomodulatory agents were used in 72.7% of the patients. Ocular complications occurred in 36.4% of eyes (mean follow-up 3.8 years, range 6-228 months). Final visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 73.3% of eyes. Four patients (4.5%) were classified as having 'complete' type of the disease, 36 (40.9%) 'incomplete' type, and 48 (54.5%) 'probable' type.

In our series, there are clinical features that differ from those reported in other studies. While auditory symptoms occurred in more than one-third of patients, integumentary findings were rather rare. Most patients exhibited the 'probable' type of VKH disease. The overall visual prognosis was favorable.