Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease Treatment & Management

  • Author: R Christopher Walton, MD; Chief Editor: Hampton Roy Sr, MD   more...
 
Updated: Apr 30, 2012
 

Medical Care

The key to successful therapy for VKH disease is early and aggressive treatment with systemic corticosteroids. Those patients who are treated later in the course of the disorder have a more guarded prognosis for recovery of visual acuity and probably have a greater risk for chronic inflammation.

  • Systemic therapy
    • For most patients with bilateral serous detachments and severe visual loss, begin therapy with systemic prednisone (1-2 mg/kg/d). In the most severe cases, some clinicians use intravenous methylprednisolone (up to 1 g/d) for several days before beginning oral prednisone (1 mg/kg/d). However, the addition of intravenous therapy does not appear to alter the visual outcome or the development of significant ocular complications.
    • The length of treatment and subsequent taper must be individualized for each patient. Most patients require therapy for 6 months and occasionally up to 1 year before successful tapering of systemic corticosteroids. In general, systemic therapy should not be discontinued during the 3 months following the onset of the disease because of the risk for recurrence.
    • For those patients who fail to respond to high-dose systemic corticosteroids or develop intolerable adverse effects, immunodulatory therapy, such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, or chlorambucil, should be instituted.[1] {{Ref49]
    • Increasing evidence supports the use of immunomodulatory therapy in virtually all patients with VKH.
  • Topical therapy
    • Topical corticosteroids, such as prednisolone acetate, are used for the treatment of anterior uveitis. In severe cases, begin therapy with 1 drop up to every 1 hour and slowly taper based upon the therapeutic response. In patients with mild-to-moderate anterior uveitis, begin with 1 drop 4-6 times daily and taper slowly.
    • Topical cycloplegics are useful to relieve the discomfort of ciliary spasm and to prevent the formation of posterior synechiae. For VKH disease, agents, such as homatropine 5%, are used 2-4 times daily in adults. Discontinue as the inflammation wanes and symptoms resolve.
Proceed to Medication
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

R Christopher Walton, MD  Professor, Director of Uveitis and Ocular Inflammatory Disease Service, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee College of Medicine

R Christopher Walton, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Healthcare Executives, American Uveitis Society, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and Retina Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

John D Sheppard Jr, MD, MMSc  Professor of Ophthalmology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Clinical Director, Thomas R Lee Center for Ocular Pharmacology, Ophthalmology Residency Research Program Director, Eastern Virginia Medical School; President, Virginia Eye Consultants

John D Sheppard Jr, MD, MMSc is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Uveitis Society, and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Steve Charles, MD  Director of Charles Retina Institute; Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee College of Medicine; Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons; Clinical Professor Ophthalmology, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Steve Charles, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retina Specialists, Club Jules Gonin, Macula Society, and Retina Society

Disclosure: Alcon Laboratories Consulting fee Consulting; OptiMedica Ownership interest Other; Topcon Medical Lasers Consulting fee Consulting

Lance L Brown, OD, MD  Ophthalmologist, Affiliated With Freeman Hospital and St John's Hospital, Regional Eye Center, Joplin, Missouri

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Hampton Roy Sr, MD  Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Hampton Roy Sr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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Bilateral multifocal serous detachments in a patient with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease. Disc hyperemia is evident in the right eye.
Fluorescein angiography of the left eye in a patient with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease. Mid phase is shown on the left with multiple areas of hyperfluorescence at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium. Late phase of the same angiogram (right) reveals multiple placoid areas of hyperfluorescence at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium and pooling of dye in the areas of serous detachment.
Patient with progressive dysacusis and recent onset of visual loss. Fundus photo shows a large multifocal serous detachment of the right eye. B-scan ultrasonography reveals posterior choroidal thickening with an overlying retinal detachment.
Patient with progressive dysacusis and recent onset of visual loss is shown here following 6 weeks of systemic corticosteroid therapy. Diffuse depigmentation of the choroid with retinal pigment epithelium migration is seen. Residual retinal striae are present in the peripapillary region. B-scan ultrasonography shows resolution of retinal detachment and choroidal thickening.
 
 
 
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