HIV seropositivity and related eye diseases in Uith, Ilorin

HIV is assuming an alarming pandemic worldwide and presently in Nigeria it is a source of concern to all and sundry.

To review the demography of cases positive for HIV in the eye clinic over a 5-year period and to identify ocular diseases that have high predictive value for HIV.

A retrospective study of all the patients that were screened for HIV in the eye clinic over a 5-year period was done. Screening was by ELISA method with confirmation by Western blot test.

A total of 60 patients were screened and 26 (43.3%) of them were HIV positive. The male to female ratio of HIV positive patients was 1:1. All the seropositive patients were between the ages of 20-49 years and about a third were students from the higher institutions. Half of the patients were single. Diagnoses with high predictive values were Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus (62%), Steven Johnson syndrome (50%), HIV retinopathy (75%), Bilateral Unresolving Toxoplasmosis (42%). The common presentations however are Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus (HZO) and unresolving bilateral Uveitis.

HIV and ocular involvement is increasing in Ilorin. The high-risk groups among patients presenting to the hospital are students of higher institutions and Soldiers. Diseases of high predictive indices are Herpes zoster Ophthalmicus, Steven Johnson's syndrome, HIV retinopathy.