ABSTRACT
AIM: To determine the frequency of HIV-related ocular involvement and to describe the characteristics of involvement in a special clinic in Tehran.METHODS: In this cross sectional study, 141 patients (125 male and 16 female, 282 eyes) of HIV-infected patients with various stages of HIV infection that were referred to Center of behavioral diseases were evaluated during a period of 7 months. Every patient had a complete profile including demographic data, method of HIV transmission, recent CD4 T cell lymphocyte count, serological studies for common sexual or blood-born viruses and toxoplasmosis, history of antiretroviral therapy, and associated systemic disease. RESULTS: A total of 141 patients were evaluated. HIV-related ocular involvement was detected in 15 patients (10.6%), including 3 mycobacterium tuberculosis-related choroiditis, 2 cytomegalovirus retinitis, 2 retinal toxoplasmosis, 2 herpes simplex virus-related lesions, 1 HIV-associated retinopathy, 1 herpes zoster ophthalmicus, 1 undetermined vitritis, and 3 cases of cranial nerve involvement including 2 cases of gaze palsy and 1 case of papilitis. In our study, mean CD4 T cell lymphocyte count was fewer in patients with ocular involvement than in patients without ocular involvement (204.7±123.8 vs 403.7±339.7, P=0.029), but there was no difference in other possible associated factors between two groups.lesions are the most common HIV-related ocular involvements in Tehran that is different from those of recent publications in developed countries.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To determine the prevalence of other allergies in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis(VKC) and their first-degree relatives.METHODS: This prospective study was done on 520 patients with VKC over a 9-year period from April 1999 to March 2008. All information such as age, sex, types of vernal and various types of other accompanying hypersen-sitivities in patients and/or their relatives were recorded on questionnaires and analyzed statistically.RESULTS: Among 520 patients, 369 (71.0%) were male and 151 (29.0%) were female. The mean age of patients was 15.3 years (6-30 years). 242 cases (46.5%) had history of vernal or other types of hypersensitivities in themselves or their first-degree relatives. Among these positive history cases ,68 patients (28.1%) had allergic dermatitis,51 cases (21.1%)vernal conjunctivitis (in their relatives),46 cases (19.0%)asthma, 29 cases (12.0%) allergic sinusitis, 24 cases (10.0%)drugs hypersensitivity, 14 cases (5.8%) atopic dermatitis, 6 cases (2.5%) allergic rhinitis and 4 cases (1.6%) had hay fever history.CONCLUSION: Many patients with VKC have other IgE-mediated or other types of hypersensitivity in him/her self and/or their relatives. Asthma, drug induced allergy and other hypersensitivities are common in these patients. The rate of vernal in relatives of patients was high, so it may be due to genetic origin of the disease.