Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), a complex and multifaceted illness. COVID‐19 is associated with various ocular manifestations including conjunctivitis, retinal vein occlusion and optic neuritis. However, the case of Vogt‐Koyanagi‐Harada (VKH) disease associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 is infrequent, and the specific association is still unclear. Case Presentation In the present study, a 35‐year‐old female patient without any significant medical history presented with 1 week of bilateral blurred vision, occurring 2 weeks after a clinical course of COVID‐19. Upon examination, both eyes exhibited bullous serous retinal detachments. She was diagnosed with incomplete VKH disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of VKH disease are essential for the visual prognosis of this aggressive disease. In this particular patient, ocular inflammatory signs and visual acuity improved via corticosteroid therapy. It is worth noting that the occurrence of VKH disease associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 is uncommon, and the specific connection between the two remains unknown. We review and summarize the clinical characteristics of VKH disease following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and discuss the potential mechanisms that may explain this phenomenon, based on similar studies previously reported. Conclusion Despite the unclear causality, it is important for ophthalmologists and physicians to be recognizant of the possible association between VKH disease and COVID‐19. SARS‐CoV‐2 may play a potential immunological triggering role in VKH disease. However, further in‐depth research is necessary to investigate the clinical and epidemiological features, as well as the underlying mechanisms of this association.

Keywords

• case report
• COVID‐19
• SARS‐CoV‐2
• Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease