Ocular Syphilis: Experience over 11 Years at a German Ophthalmology Reference Centre

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Syphilis cases have steadily increased in Germany over the past decade, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
• This trend aligns with global data on rising syphilis incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the trends and characteristics of ocular syphilis cases in Germany.
• To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes for patients with ocular syphilis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, descriptive, non-comparative study of patients tested for syphilis.
• Data collected from a tertiary referral center in Düsseldorf between 2008 and 2019.
• Inclusion of epidemiologic, demographic, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic data.

Main Results:

• Syphilis serology was positive in 32 out of 1840 patients (1.7%), with even distribution over the study period.
• The majority of positive cases (81.3%) were male, and 59.4% belonged to a risk group.
• Ocular syphilis was the primary diagnosis in 90.6% of cases, with uveitis being the most frequent manifestation (62.5%).

Conclusions:

• The incidence of ocular syphilis has remained stable over the last decade in the studied population.
• Despite the overall increase in syphilis, ocular manifestations showed a consistent rate.
• Nearly 60% of patients with ocular syphilis experienced improved visual acuity following therapy.