Seasonal Patterns of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2023 Feb;31(2):362-366. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2022.2029499. Epub 2022 Feb 8.

Abstract

Purpose: To identify the relationship between the incidence of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease and seasonality.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed, including patients with a confirmed diagnosis of VKH whose month of disease onset was available. Information on patients was entered retrospectively into a database and analyzed according to the month and season.

Results: Twenty-four patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. There was a statistically significant deviation from expected values in the incidences of VKH per season (P = .043). The most common season for the onset of VKH was fall, with 50% of the patients presenting in this season, while spring was the least common season for VKH presentation, with 12.5% of the patients presenting in this season.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that the onset of VKH in Puerto Rico follows a seasonal pattern, with most cases occurring during the fall.

Keywords: Autoimmune disease; Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada; panuveitis; seasonal patterns; uveitis.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seasons
  • Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome* / diagnosis
  • Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome* / epidemiology
  • Visual Acuity