SUMMARY
Purpose: To study the different clinical ocular features of syphilis in patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Material and Methods: Retrospective study of patients with clinicai and laboratorial diagnosis of AIDS, syphilis and ocular manifestation between January 1994 and January 1997 in São Paulo, Brazil.
Results: Of the total 1,450 patients with a diagnosis of AIDS, 14 had aiso a diagnosis ofocular syphilis ofwhich 11 (78.6%) presented anterior uveitis, 7 (50%) vitreitis, 8 (57%) retinitis, 1 (7.1 %) choroiditis and 3 (21.4%) papillitis. Anterior uveitis was unilateral in 6 eyes and bilateral in 5, vitreitis was unilateral in 5 eyes and bilateral in 2, retinitis was unilateral in 5 eyes and bilateral in 3, papillitis unilateral in 2 eyes and bilateral in 1 and there was 1 eye with choroiditis. All patients presented more than one ocular manifestation. Neurosyphilis was present in 50% of the cases.
Conclusions: Ocular syphilis was diagnosed in 0.96% of patients with AIDS in the period studed. The clinical presentations are anterior uveitis, vitreitis, retinitis, choroiditis and papillitis in variable combinations.
Keywords:
AIDS; HIV; Syphilis