Three cases of ocular syphilis and the resurgence of the disease in Queensland

Abstract

Sergio A Sara, Andrew S McAllister Department of Ophthalmology, Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH), Southport, QLD, Australia Abstract: The past few years has seen a resurgence of syphilis. It is predominantly associated within men who have sex with men and also within heterosexual Indigenous Australians. Possessing the ability to mimic a variety of ocular diseases, it typically manifests as uveitis, although it can affect any structure within the eye. Thus, a high degree of clinical suspicion by ophthalmologists is required to prevent disease progression and ocular morbidity. Patients require prolonged antibiotic treatment with intravenous benzylpenicillin and outpatient monitoring to successfully resolve the infection. We describe a case series of ocular syphilis presentations in Queensland, Australia. Keywords: ocular syphilis, Indigenous Australians, men who have sex with men

Keywords

• ocular syphilis
• Indigenous Australians
• men who have sex with men