ABSTRACT
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is the second most common uveitis in Japan. This is considered an autoimmune disease as the immune system attacks self-melanocytes, and it is characterized by neurological, auditory, and dermatological symptoms in addition to panuveitis. Standard treatment is systemic steroid mass therapy. Also, an inadequate amount of corticosteroid can cause the disease recur or become protracted.<br>Here, we report a case of new-onset VKH disease successfully treated with a combination of ryutanshakanto prepared at Ikkando and goreisan, without any corticosteroids, in a hepatitis B virus carrier.<br>The patient was a 40-year-old male. He visited an eye clinic with bilateral blurred vision, and was diagnosed with bilateral maculopathy at this clinic. He was then referred to our hospital. We diagnosed him with VKH disease and, in accordance with (traditional Japanese) Kampo medicine, also with dampness-heat (shitsunetsu) of the foot's liver meridian with reverting yin (<i>ashi-ketchin-kankei</i>), mild water retention (<i>suitai</i>) and blood stasis (<i>oketsu</i>). We then administered the ryutanshakanto prepared at Ikkando, plus goreisan. His visual acuity consequentially began to improve gradually from the next day, and the disease was finally cured without the administration of any corticosteroid. Thus we believe this suggests that Kampo therapy for VKH disease can be a viable alternative.