Ocular clinical characteristics and treatment of latent syphilis with posterior uveitis as the initial symptom / 中华实验眼科杂志

ABSTRACT

Background In patients with syphilis,one of the common manifestations is uveitis.However,the lack of understanding on syphilic posterior uveitis may result in misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.Objective This study was to assess ocular clinical features,treatment and prognosis in patients who had latent syphilis and presented with posterior uveitis as the initial symptom.Methods A serial cases-observational study was designed.Twelve patients(19 eyes)who were diagnosed as syphilis from September 2011 to January 2013 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients were characterized by initial posterior uveitis before the final diagnosis.The clinical manifestation,management and prognosis were evaluated and analyzed.All patients were informed of this study and consented with the use of their data for this retrospective study.Results The patients presented with initial clinical signs of acute or chronic posterior uveitis and lacked systemic syphilis symptom.Bilateral posterior uveitis were found in 7 patients and unilateral in 5 patients.The dust-like and grey-white opacification in vitreous was seen by threemirror contact lens in all the patients.Mild hyperemia of the optical disc was found in 10 eyes with the unclear peripapillary boundary.Yellow-white lesions were observed in retinas of 7 eyes and retinal punctuate hemorrhage was in 1 eye.Fundus fluorescein angiography demonstrated fluorescine staining or hyperfluorescence of optic disc in all of the 19 eyes,and fluorescein leakage from vein in 18 eyes,retinal pigment epithelium dye pooling in 6 eyes and cystoid macular edema in 11 eyes.Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test and treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) were performed and presented positive results in all patients.The visual acuity improved in 19 eyes and partly elevated in 2 eyes following a standard therapy for neurosyphilis was used,including penicillin and/or small doses of glucocorticoid.Conclusions The serological examination for syphilis should be considered for patients with unexplained uveitis.Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important for the improvement of prognosis in syphilitic posterior uveitis.