[Clinical studies of reduced accommodation in patients with HIV-1 infection]

PROBLEM Reduced accommodation in HIV-patients has been described. Yet, in literature, statistics on this item cannot be found. PATIENTS AND METHOD In 58 HIV-infected subjects of different infection stages, accommodation was measured using Clement-Clark's accommodometer. Average age was 34.9 years (sigma = 8.3 years) Stages of HIV-infection were defined according to CDC (Centers for Disease Control)-classification. RESULTS The decrease in accommodation did not show any correlation to the stage of HIV-infection neither to its frequency nor to its amount. An antiretroviral therapy may reduce accommodation loss. However, the effect is not statistically significant. Incommodating accommodation loss occurred only in a few cases. CONCLUSION Reduced accommodation is an early ophthalmological symptom of HIV-1-infection. Possible causes of this phenomenon may be either direct neuronal infection by HIV 1, pathologic changes of the lens or the ciliary body.