[Ophthalmic complications in the course of opportunistic infections--part I]

One of the most important problem of contemporary medicine appears to be constantly increasing number of patients with opportunistic infections. The situation is mainly due to world epidemic of AIDS. The progress in transplantology, huge number of immunocompromised patients during oncological and hematological treatment as well as prolongation of life time in children with congenital immunodeficiencies are successive conditions for the development of opportunistic infection. Pathogens infecting immunocompromised individuals have very low virulence, but in these persons disease is often very severe and potentially lethal. Main agents responsible for opportunistic infections are: Toxoplasma gondii, Cytomegalovirus hominis, Herpes simplex virus, Varicella-zoster virus and fungi. In the paper we describe clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods and therapies of ocular toxoplasmosis and viral infections. Knowledge of diagnosing methods and treatment of opportunistic infections which, when untreated, may quickly lead to vision loss, is necessary in contemporary ophthalmological practice.