ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe retinal complications observed in patients presenting with AIDS at Lome teaching hospital. MATERIAL: All patients who met WHO AIDS clinical case diagnostic in Africa, admitted for various signs in hospital, were followed between December 1996 and May 1997 for ocular examinations. RESULTS: We surveyed 94 patients; 41 (43.6%) had retinal lesions. Retinal complications were cotton whool spots (30 cases), retinal hemorrhages (4 cases), papilloedema (4 cases), cytomegalovirus retinitis (8 cases). Mortality in patients with retinal complications occurred 10 months after the clinical diagnosis of AIDS. CONCLUSION: This study has found a high retinal morbidity contrasting with other studies in Africa. This could be explained by the longer period of follow-up larger than in previous similar studies.
