The role of systemic immunomodulatory treatment and prognostic factors on chronic ocular complications in Stevens-Johnson syndrome

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the effect of early systemic immunomodulatory treatment and to identify prognostic factors of chronic ocular complications in Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) patients.

Design: Retrospective, comparative, multicenter study.

Participants: Forty-three patients admitted to 1 of 3 University Hospitals (Seoul National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, and Yonsei University Hospital) with a diagnosis of SJS or TEN who were followed up for at least 6 months in Korea.

Methods: Patients were divided into 5 groups according to systemic immunomodulatory treatment received: systemic steroids (S), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), combined S plus IVIG, systemic pulse steroids (PS), and supportive care only (C). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and chronic ocular surface complications score (COCS; range, 0-15) at final follow-up were compared among the 5 groups. Prognostic factors at onset (age, gender, causative drugs, initial visual acuities, acute ocular involvement score [range, 0-3], acute systemic involvement score [range, 0-16], systemic steroid dose, IVIG dose, and amniotic membrane transplantation [AMT]) were analyzed to predict final BCVA or COCS using logistic regression or linear regression analysis.

Main outcome measures: Best-corrected visual acuity and COCS at final follow-up.

Results: The mean age and follow-up period of the patients was 30.5±21.0 years and 29.1±30.4 months, respectively. The acute systemic involvement score in the IVIG, S plus IVIG, and PS groups was significantly higher than that in the S and C groups (P < 0.001). However, final BCVA and COCS were not significantly different between groups, even after statistical adjustment. High COCS (≥8 points) was associated with female gender (P = 0.012) and AMT at the acute stage (P = 0.040). High acute ocular and systemic involvement scores were associated with worse COCS (P < 0.001), and COCS showed good correlation with final BCVA (R(2) = 0.7101; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions: There were no therapeutic benefits of systemic immunomodulatory treatments in final visual outcome and COCS in SJS and TEN patients. Female gender and acute ocular and systemic involvement scores may be prognostic factors predicting chronic ocular complications.