Research progress of ocular manifestations and treatments of human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis co-infection

Abstract

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a fatal disease involving multiple systems. Syphilis is a systemic chronic infection disease caused by treponema pallidum infection. In recent years, the incidence of the two infectious diseases in China has been on the rise. Both of them have the same high-risk population and similar transmission routes, and co-infection is increasing day by day. They can influence each other. Syphilis significantly increases the risk of HIV infection, and HIV is able to change the natural course of syphilis. HIV and syphilis co-infection leads to diverse ocular manifestations which are not typical or specific. This condition results in not only a high rate of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, but also a high rate of treatment failure and recurrence. There is a high correlation between ocular syphilis and neurosyphilis in HIV-positive patients. Many patients with HIV/syphilis co-infection visit eye clinics for the initial symptom. In order to provide reference for clinical diagnosis, treatment and research, this article reviews the recent advances on the studies of the co-infection of HIV and syphilis, including epidemiological characteristics, ocular manifestations and treatments. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 865-870).