Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. About eight cases

Purpose. - Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease is a rare systemic affection characterised by the association of ocular inflammatory manifestations and extra ocular lesions such as meningismus, tegumentary or auditory findings observed in pigmented population. Auto-immune origin of this syndrome is probable; a T-lymphocyte-mediated autoimmune process is directed against an unidentified antigen associated with melanocytes. Methods. - The aim of this retrospective study is to determine their clinical profile in our country. Results. - Eight consecutive cases of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease were studied during a 22-year period. All the patients fullfilled the criteria of American Uveitis Society. All patients were female and had bilateral ocular involvement as panuveitis. Retinal serous detachment was observed in 4 patients, meningitis in 6 cases. 7 patients had hearing loss and 5 patients had cutaneous lesions represented by poliosis. Corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive therapy were administered in all patients leading to improvement in 5 patients. Conclusion. - Our series are concording with a usually good occular prognosis. Immunosuppressive therapy should be used early in posterior segment involvement. (C) 2007 Publie par Elsevier Masson SAS.