RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Several opportunistic intraocular infections have been described in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus, among them infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In most cases, the diagnosis is based on clinical findings. Recent reports have described the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction techniques in the diagnosis of bacterial infections. METHODS: The authors observed a 29-year-old woman with acquired immune deficiency syndrome in whom unilateral chorioretinitis developed. The chorioretinitis appeared after cessation of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. We obtained aqueous humor by paracentesis and tested it by polymerase chain reaction to detect M. tuberculosis DNA. RESULTS: The polymerase chain reaction of the aqueous humor was positive for M. tuberculosis DNA. CONCLUSION: Polymerase chain reaction was useful in identifying M. tuberculosis in aqueous from a patient with chorioretinitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
