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Acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis.
J D Gass1, R A Braunstein, R G Chenoweth
1Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, FL 33101.
Ophthalmology
|October 1, 1990
Summary
Secondary syphilis can cause vision loss due to characteristic retinal lesions. Prompt antibiotic treatment led to vision recovery and lesion resolution in most patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
- Syphilology
Background:
- Secondary syphilis, a systemic infection, can manifest with ocular complications.
- Understanding the diverse ocular presentations of syphilis is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Observation:
- Six patients presented with bilateral vision loss due to unique, large, placoid, yellowish fundus lesions in the macula and juxtapapillary regions.
- All affected eyes exhibited vitreitis, and fluorescein angiography revealed a consistent pattern of early hypofluorescence with late staining in the lesions.
Findings:
- The observed ophthalmoscopic and angiographic features were highly suggestive of secondary syphilis.
- Five patients with typical mucocutaneous lesions of secondary syphilis experienced rapid visual and fundus lesion improvement after antibiotic therapy.
Implications:
- The characteristic presentation of these posterior fundus lesions can aid in diagnosing secondary syphilis.
- Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) coinfection may alter the host response, potentially contributing to this specific ocular manifestation of syphilis.