Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease: 3 cases

• Published in: Annales de dermatologie et de vénéréologie Vol. 127; no. 3; p. 282
• Main Authors: Mikou, O, Chiheb, S, Zouhair, K, Jarmouni, R I, Nejjam, F, El Ouazzani, T, Amraoui, A, Lakhdar, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01-03-2000
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Child; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Patient Care Team; Prednisone - administration & dosage; Recurrence; Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome - diagnosis; Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome - drug therapy
• ISSN: 0151-9638

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease is a bilateral chronic panuveitis sometimes associated with signs of meningo-encephalic, auditory and skin and nail involvement. We report 3 cases.
The first case was a 30-year-old woman who consulted for a red eye, low visual acuity, poliosis, and diffuse alopecia which had developed over 9 months. The ophthalmology examination disclosed anterior uveitis with retinal detachment. The second patient was a 9-year-old child who developed poliosis, canities, and achromic lesions over a 2 month period. The ophthalmology examination disclosed low visual acuity, irido-corneal synechiae and pigmented deposits on the anterior lens. The third patient was a 20-year-old man who consulted for alopecia, diffuse canities, and white body hair. The ophthalmology examination disclosed low visual acuity, anterior uveitis, and a serous chorio-retinal detachment. All three patients were given general corticosteroid therapy (1 mg/kg/d). The clinical course was favorable in all cases with however one case of recurrent ocular involvement and one case of pigmentation disorders.
The diagnosis of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's disease was established in these three cases on the basis of the ocular and skin and nail signs. This rare disease usually occurs in young, often female, patients. The pathogenesis remains unknown. Among the three signs observed, ocular involvement is the most serious. Skin and nail signs are seen in two-thirds of cases. For rapid diagnosis and early treatment, this disease requires a multidisiplinary management associating the dermatologist and the ophthalmologist.