Neuroretinitis following typhoid fever in a 55-year-old female: Case report

@#Neuroretinitis (NR) is an inflammation of the optic nerve and the neural retina. NR is diagnosed clinically, and it is characterized by blurring of vision (BOV), optic disc swelling, and macular star exudates. Spontaneous resolution of NR is possible, but corticosteroids help in hastening recovery. Rarely, Salmonella typhi infection may produce an immune-mediated reaction that can cause NR. Immune-mediated retinitis occurs 3 to 6 weeks after the febrile period of a typhoid infection. We present the case of a 55-year-old female with a two-week history of painless, unilateral BOV occurring five weeks after the initial febrile episode of a typhoid infection. A diagnosis of NR was made after fundus examination on the affected eye showed optic disc edema and macular star exudates. An eight-week course of corticosteroid treatment afforded partial resolution of the disc edema and significant reduction in the macular exudates, and improved the patient’s vision after six months.

Ocular manifestations of HIV/AIDS among patients who have not received highly active antiretroviral therapy: Brief report

@#A spectrum of ocular manifestations is associated with the decrease in CD4+ (T-cell) count to less than 200 cells/uL in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).1 Ocular manifestations are frequently caused by opportunistic infections--such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, varicella-zoster virus (VZV) retinitis, and mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection--and neoplasms such as Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma.2 The ocular manifestations of HIV may involve the adnexa, anterior and posterior segments, and/or the orbit.34 Opportunistic infections differ across different parts of the world, and even among Asian countries, due to varying local prevalence of opportunistic agents.5 Further, the patterns of ocular disease in HIV patients vary in different regions due to differences in timing of deaths in developed and developing countries, HIV subtypes, and sociocultural factors affecting testing and therapy.6 With the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the patterns and prevalence of ocular manifestations of HIV/AIDS have changed considerably. 278 From 4,300 in 2010, the number of Filipinos infected with HIV rose to 10,500 in 2016.9 As more patients are diagnosed with HIV infection and AIDS, there is greater need to determine the morbidity rate and identify factors that increase the likelihood of having ocular manifestations of these conditions.