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Utility of lumbar puncture in diagnosis of Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease

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Abstract

Purpose

To determine the significance of lumbar puncture in diagnosis of Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease (VKH).

Method

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 116 consecutive patients diagnosed with VKH. Two additional patients who presented with acute VKH were included in the analysis. Demographic characteristics, including gender, age, and ethnicity, were extracted from the medical record. The stage of disease at presentation was documented. Pertinent laboratory results and diagnostic procedures such as lumbar puncture, fluorescein angiography, and echography that contributed to the diagnosis of VKH were collected.

Results

Lumbar puncture results for 10 patients were available. Eight of these patients presented with pleocytosis consistent with a diagnosis of VKH. Clinical features and fluorescein angiography confirmed the diagnosis in these patients. Both of the patients who did not exhibit cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis presented with headache, vision loss, and bilateral uveitis. Fluorescein angiography disclosed multiple foci of leakage at the retinal pigment epithelium level with accumulation of dye under the retina and disc leakage, confirming diagnosis of VKH.

Conclusion

The utility of lumbar puncture as a diagnostic criterion for VKH should be re-evaluated given that clinical features and fluorescein angiography alone often support the diagnosis. The inherent risks and complications associated with the procedure must prompt the clinician to reserve this evaluation for atypical presentations.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, NY.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Doheny Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, 1355 San Pablo St. DVRC211, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Julie H. Tsai, Somsiri Sukavatcharin & Narsing A. Rao

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  1. Julie H. Tsai
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  2. Somsiri Sukavatcharin
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  3. Narsing A. Rao
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Correspondence to Narsing A. Rao.

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Tsai, J.H., Sukavatcharin, S. & Rao, N.A. Utility of lumbar puncture in diagnosis of Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease. Int Ophthalmol 27, 189–194 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-007-9044-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-007-9044-y

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