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

ABSTRACT

@#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.