Multistep Grading System for Evaluation of Chronic Ocular Sequelae in Patients With Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To propose a new scoring system for grading of chronic ocular sequelae in Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS).

DESIGN: Reliability and validity analysis.

METHODS: Participants: Four hundred eyes of 200 patients with chronic ocular SJS/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) were included in the study.

SETTINGS: Single-center, tertiary eye care referral center.

PROCEDURE: All patients with SJS/TEN with chronic (more than 1 year) ocular sequelae were recruited for the study. Corneal, eyelid, and conjunctival signs were evaluated and given scores ranging from 0 to 5 depending on the increasing severity. Twelve signs (6 corneal, 3 conjunctival, and 3 eyelid) were evaluated to obtain the total severity score for each eye. Based on the corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and total score, each eye was graded using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation of CDVA with the severity score determined on the basis of 12 corneal, eyelid, and conjunctival signs.

RESULTS: Mean age was 24.09 ± 10.9 years. The most common inciting agent for SJS was oral medications (85%). The scores of 12 ocular surface parameters correlated significantly with CDVA (P < .001). ROC analysis revealed 4 grades of total severity score of 0-11 (stage 0), 12-16 (stage 1), 17-22 (stage 2), and 23-53 (stage 3). The total severity score correlated significantly with logMAR visual acuity grades with an agreement of 60.7% using Cohen's kappa analysis (kappa coefficient = 0.420 ± 0.03). The most common stage of total severity score was stage 3 in 49% of eyes (196/400), followed by stage 0 (107/400, 26.7%).

CONCLUSIONS: The multistep scoring system of chronic ocular features in SJS/TEN sequelae is a useful tool to grade all levels of severity. This may help to evaluate the efficacy of the surgical intervention by comparing preoperative with postoperative ocular grades.