Purpose: To investigate the details of the long-term progression of ocular surface cicatrization in eyes with ocular sequelae caused by Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN).
Methods: In 105 eyes of 66 patients with SJS/TEN, the severity of ocular sequelae was retrospectively evaluated using an ocular surface grading score (OSGS) at 2 time points separated by a greater than 5-year interval. The OSGS included 7 ocular surface components (conjunctivalization, neovascularization, opacification, keratinization, symblepharon, and upper/lower conjunctival-sac shortening) evaluated into grades 0 to 3 (maximum total OSGS: 21), with the worsening of each component and total OSGS evaluated at the greater than 5-year interval. Moreover, we evaluated whether upper-tarsus and lid-margin scarring are factors that affect ocular surface cicatrization progression.
Results: In 35 (33.3%) of 105 eyes, the total OSGS worsened during the follow-up period. Partial conjunctivalization (score 1-2) progressed more frequently to total conjunctivalization (score 3) than to no conjunctivalization (score 0) (OR [95% CI]; 5.6 [1.6-20.3]). Partial keratinization (score 1-2) also had a high risk of progression into total keratinization (41.0 [6.3-266.5]). In all cases, keratinization progressed only in the eyes with total conjunctivalization (conjunctivalization score 3). Severity of upper-tarsus scarring or lid-margin scarring affected the worsening of the total OSGS.
Conclusions: In 66 patients with chronic-phase SJS/TEN, ocular surface cicatrization progressed in 33.3% of the 105 eyes during the long-term follow-up period of over 5 years. More than 50% of the partial conjunctivalization eyes progressed toward total conjunctivalization. The partial keratinization eyes had a high possibility of progressing to total keratinization; that is, the so-called "end-stage" status.