AIM: To investigate the clinical characteristic, treatment and treatment effect of Vogt-Koyana-Harada(VKH)syndrome.

METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted based on the clinical data of 20 patients 39 eyes with VKH syndrome who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical College of the Shihezi University from April 2004 to April 2012. The clinical data were analyzed, including ocular symptoms, ocular symptoms, fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA), and treatment method.

RESULTS: All of the 20 patients 39 eyes were initial patients, simultaneous involvement of both eyes occurred in 19 cases, only one case had the unilateral disease. Prior to the onset of the disease,14 patients(70%)had prodromal symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting. External ocular symptoms were noted in 80% of the patients, including neurologic symptoms, auditory problems, poliosis, alopecia and vitiligo. The specific performances of FFA were irregular punctate hyperfluorescent dots, disc leakage and multiple hyperfluorescent pool in the subretina. All patients were treated with high-dose corticosteroids for 9-12 months. The vision of the patients improved differently. After 3 months' following-up, 3 cases relapsed.

CONCLUSION:Prodrome, clinical course, external ocular symptoms and FFA are helpful to the diagnosis of VKH syndrome. Early and aggressive systemic treatment with corticosteroids has greatly improved the visual outcome in VKH patients. But there is a tendency of recurrence, and long-term follow-up should be closely observed.