Background: Uveitis may cause blindness. A subsequent long-term outcome is critical for both ophthalmologists and patients. However, there have been few comparative studies of long-term outcomes of ocular complications and visual acuity at a single institution. In this study, we examined the long-term outcomes of three major etiologies of panuveitis in Japan: sarcoidosis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease, and Behçet disease.
Patients and methods: Overall, 34 patients with sarcoidosis, 39 patients with VKH disease, and 36 patients with Behçet disease who had been followed-up for > 100 months at Hokkaido University Hospital were retrospectively investigated using medical records.
Results: The proportion of women with sarcoidosis (76.5%) was higher (p< 0.01) than that of women with VKH disease (61.5%) and Behçet disease (41.7%). Poor visual prognosis was more common in patients with Behçet disease (45.5%) than in those with sarcoidosis (12.3%) or VKH disease (15.8%) (p< 0.01). There was no difference in the incidence of secondary glaucoma or its surgical history. Cataract complications were more common in patients with Behçet disease (83.3%) and less common in those with VKH disease (53.9%) (p< 0.01). Vitreous hemorrhage was less common in patients with VKH disease (0%) than in those with sarcoidosis (6.2%) or Behçet disease (6.1%) (p< 0.01). Cystoid macular edema (13.9%) and epiretinal membrane (6.2%) were more common in patients with sarcoidosis (p< 0.05).
Conclusion: Long-term outcomes of visual acuity and the percentage of ocular complications vary depending on the disease.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 127: 456-462,2023.