title: Incidence and clinical features of recurrent Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease in Japanese individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to determine the recurrence rate of inflammation in Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease and to describe its clinical features.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed as having VKH disease with exudative retinal detachment at the Osaka University Hospital or the Japanese Community Healthcare Organization, Osaka Hospital, between 1998 and 2012. All patients received high-dose corticosteroid therapy as the initial treatment and were followed for at least 6 months. Demographic data, including age, sex, visual acuity (VA) levels at initial presentation and at 1 year after initial therapy, treatment received, and recurrent episodes were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five consecutive patients with VKH disease were identified (36 women; mean age 38.6 ± 10.4 years). Fourteen patients (25.5 %) had recurrent inflammation, which manifested as posterior uveitis in eight and as anterior uveitis in six of the patients. Recurrent posterior segment inflammation was more likely to develop in patients whose VA at initial presentation was poor (P = 0.039) and in whom orally administered corticosteroid was tapered rapidly (to 30 mg within 3 weeks or less, to 20 mg within 2 months or less, and to 10 mg within 3 months or less) (P = 0.006, P = 0.066, and P = 0.041, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About 25 % of patients with VKH disease had recurrent inflammation. Poor initial VA and rapid tapering of the corticosteroid were associated with posterior recurrence.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Chiharu
authors: C
authors: Iwahashi
authors: Kensuke
authors: K
authors: Okuno
authors: Noriyasu
authors: N
authors: Hashida
authors: Kei
authors: K
authors: Nakai
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Ohguro
authors: Kohji
authors: K
authors: Nishida
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D015866:Uveitis, Posterior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D014607:Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids