摘要
AIM:To evaluate the clinical characteristics,demographics,and visual outcomes of patients with ocular syphilis at an urban hospital to increase awareness and assist in earlier diagnosis and treatment of the resurgent disease.METHODS:A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes correlating with syphilis or syphilis-related ocular diseases between 2010 and 2019.Variables evaluated included age,gender,race,vision,ocular findings,human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)status and men who have sex with men status,recreational drug and alcohol use.RESULTS:Ocular syphilis was diagnosed in 40 patients(53 eyes)of a total of 229 patients who tested positive for syphilis via serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid treponemal testing from 2010-2019.Among patients with ocular syphilis,most patients were males,aged 45 or above and Black,and had no diagnosed HIV infection.Approximately 50%patients had 20/40 vision or better.Nearly 50%had nongranulomatous anterior uveitis as their initial presentation,and 49%of patients had involvement of the posterior segment.Neovascular glaucoma(5.7%),papillitis(7.5%),vasculitis(5.7%),and retinal detachment(5.7%)were rarer presentations of the disease and were associated with a poorer visual prognosis.CONCLUSION:Given the increased prevalence and protean manifestations of syphilis,early diagnosis and treatment are paramount.More studies on ocular syphilis are warranted to understand this resurging disease.