Clinical and therapeutic features of pediatric Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease.

PURPOSE: To analyze clinical, therapeutic and prognostic features of pediatric Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 16 eyes of 8 children diagnosed with VKH disease followed at a teaching hospital over a 10 year period. Diagnosis was based on the revised criteria of VKH disease. All data were analyzed using SPSS® software. RESULTS: There were 62.5% girls and 37.5% boys. The mean age (years) was 14.6±4.4. The mean follow-up (months) was 38.7±28.7. The mean initial visual acuity (VA) (LogMAR) was 1.4 with 68.8% of eyes presenting with severe visual loss at admission. The median time (days) required for resorption of the serous retinal detachment was 10 [8.25-25]. Extraocular signs were present in 62.5% of cases. The mean time until initiation of treatment was 25.6 days. 62.5% of patients received corticosteroids alone, and 37.5% of patients received a combination of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy. Final VA was 0.4 [0.1-2.3]. In our study, the time until consultation, low initial VA and recurrences were statistically associated with severe visual loss (P≤0.05). CONCLUSION: Life expectancy in pediatric cases of VKH disease justifies the early initiation of immunosuppressive treatment or even biological therapy to achieve better steroid sparing and preserve visual function.

[Prognostic factors in uveitis]. / Facteurs pronostiques des uvéites.

PURPOSE: To evaluate prognostic factors of vision loss among patients with uveitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This descriptive and retrospective study included all patients diagnosed with uveitis who were seen at the teaching hospital of Rabat, Morocco, over a 5-year period. Information regarding demographic data, uveitis type, bilaterality of the disease, etiology and complications were gathered from patients' records. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-nine eyes of 89 patients were included. There were 60.7 % men and 39.3 % women. The mean age (years) was 31.1±16.8. Median follow-up was 11 months. Median visual acuity (logMAR) on admission was 1.7 [0.7-2] and 1 [0.4-1.7] on the last visit (P<0.001). Fifty-nine percent of eyes had final visual acuity (VA) equal to or less than 1/10. Panuveitis (85.4 %) and posterior uveitis (72.7 %) were responsible for final VA equal to or less than 1/10 (P<0.001). Cataract, posterior synechiae, vitreous opacities, epimacular membrane (ERM) and cystoid macular edema (CME) were the most frequent complications. Using multivariate logistic regression, the prognostic factors associated with severe vision loss were the type of uveitis (posterior and panuveitis), CME, ERM, macular scarring and optic atrophy (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Although this study included a limited number of subjects, the results showed that final VA was equal or less than 1/10 in 59 % of eyes diagnosed with uveitis and was associated with risk factors including posterior segment involvement (panuveitis and posterior uveitis), CME and ERM.

[Prevalence of exfoliation syndrome and cardiovascular diseases in patients scheduled for cataract surgery]. / Prévalence du syndrome exfoliatif et profil cardiovasculaire des patients programmés pour chirurgie de cataracte.

PURPOSE: To study the prevalence of exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and its association with cardiovascular disease in patients scheduled for cataract surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective, single center, descriptive study of 260 patients admitted to a tertiary teaching hospital in Rabat, Morocco, between January 2015 and March 2016 and scheduled for cataract surgery. All patients had a preoperative cardiovascular exam, an electrocardiogram and, if needed, echocardiography. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results with a P-value<0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: This study included 246 patients: 146 women (59.3 %) and 100 men (40.7 %). The mean age (years) was 67.6±10.1. The percentage of XFS increased with age (P=0.02). Sixty-two percent of patients with cardiovascular disease also had exfoliation syndrome (P<0.001). Patients with XFS had hypertension in 46.5 % of cases. 14 subjects (19.7 %) had ischemic heart disease and XFS. Using multivariate logistic regression and after adjusting for age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and arrhythmias, smoking was the only factor associated with exfoliation syndrome (P=0.01, odds ratio=5.2, confidence interval 95 %=1.35-20.15). CONCLUSION: Exfoliation syndrome is a common condition in the aging cataract population. Ischemic heart disease and hypertension are frequently associated with XFS. Smoking could be another factor associated with this syndrome.