Course of uveitis and visual functions in retarded cases of Harada's disease
Yoshida, H.; Tada, R.; Nakagawa, Y.; Ohji, M.; Sasabe, T.; Haruta, Y.; Yuasa, T.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi 92(5): 726-730
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-0203 PMID: 3189050 Document Number: 321735
The course of uveitis and visual functions in 50 retarded cases of Harada's disease were investigated. In our clinic, these cases were observed for 9.1 years on an average and 1 year at least. Forty-two per cent of the cases belonged to the intermittent stage of uveitis at the time of 5 years from the onset; 26% of them had persistent uveal inflammation at 10 years. Healed cases consisted of only 33% after a course of 15 years and the others had recurrent uveitis. After 10 from onset, many patients retained fair visual acuity; but only 42% of the eyes maintained 20/40 or better acuities and in 38% of them acuity was less than 20/200 after 15 years. These visual disturbances were due to choroidal atrophy of the macula, secondary glaucoma and complications of cataract operations. Concentric narrowing of the visual field following choroidal atrophy were slowly progressive and was observed in 38% of the eyes during a course of 10 years and in 80% after 15 years.