Ocular manifestations in HIV/AIDS patients in pre haart era

Abstract

Prospective study was performed in 821 HIV-AIDS patients evaluated in ophthalmology and infectious diseases services of a public hospital in Lima, Peru as a part of the initial evaluation to access HAART protocol treatment from April 2004 to July 2006. The range patient age was 16-73 years (media 36), 74% was male, 114 (13,9%) had been taken antirretroviral drugs. More than half (62%) had ocular symptoms, the most frequent was decreased of visual acuity (38,4%). We reported anterior segment findings in 21,7%, superficial punctate queratopathy, conjunctival microvasculopathy, conjunctivitis and cataract were the most observed. In posterior segment 11,9% had lesions, retinal microvasculopathy was described in 47 (5,7%) and cytomegalovirus retinitis in 31 (3,8%), that was the most important cause of blindness in this group of patients (14/19 eyes).