Ophthalmic manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in India

Abstract

Purpose: To describe ophthalmic and systemic findings in 70 patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection examined at a referral eye centre in India.Methods: A complete ophthalmological examination was performed on each patient. Relevant investigations were carried out on selected patients.Results: Thirty two (45.7%) had ocular lesions, the most common being cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis (21.4%). Other lesions included cotton-wool spots (12.8%), chorioretinitis (5.7%), endogenous endophthalmitis (8.5%), anterior uveitis (4.2%), and molluscum contagiosum (1.4%). The most common systemic infection was pulmonary tuberculosis (50%). The others were oral candidiasis (41.4%), Pneumocystitis carinii pneumonia (11.4%), HIV enteropathy (12.8%) and toxoplasmosis (4.2%). Systemic and intravitreal ganciclovir treatment were given in selected cases and the outcome was documented. Conclusion: Our study indicates that ocular lesions in HIV patients in India are less common than in USA and Africa. Unlike HIV patients in USA, the most common ocular lesion among HIV patients in India is CMV retinitis and not the cottonwool spots.

Keywords

• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
• human immunodeficiency virus
• cytomegalovirus retinitis
• cottonwool spots
• molluscum contagiosum
• ganciclovir