Clinical features and treatment of syphilitic scleritis / 眼科新进展

ABSTRACT

Objective To summarize and describe clinical features and treatment outcome of syphilitic scleritis.Methods A retrospective study was conducted in patients diagnosed as syphilitic scleritis from 2011 to 2016 in our hospital.Clinical characteristics and prognosis were evaluated.Results Seven patients (7 eyes) were diagnosed as syphilitic scleritis by clinical and serological examinations.All patients were unaware that they had syphilis infection before visit.The ocular manifestation was the only clinical fmdings in three patients.Both treponema pallidum particle agglutination and rapid plasma regain were positive.Meanwhile,the scleritis infection was excluded,tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were negative.Syphilitic scleritis was unilateral in all patients,and the duration was from one week to two years.Initial symptoms were varied in degree of ocular redness,pain and visual impairment.Two patients presented with anterior episcleritis,nodular anterior scleritis was found in three patients,one patient showed diffuse anterior scleritis,and one patient presented with diffuse episcleritis combined with acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis.All patients were treated with penicillin G,and inflammation resolved quickly after treatment.Conelusion Syphilitic scleritis is rare and ease to be misdiagnosed,various types of anterior scleritis is the main manifestation.Syphilitic serologic test should be performed for the suspected cases.The prognosis is well with anti-syphilis therapy.