Syphilitic Iritis: A study of 249 patients

Abstract

Statistical information here given is based upon 249 cases of syphilitic iritis occurring among over 10,000 syphilitic patients in the syphilis division of the Johns Hopkins Hospital medicai clinic. In 111 cases the iritis was a part of the originai secondary outbreak; in 29 the iritis was a recurrence phenomenon after inadequate treatment of early syphilis; and in the remaining 109 cases involvement of the iris was a late manifestation of the disease. The blood Wassermann test was positive in 97 percent of the early cases, in SS percent of the cases of recurrence, and in 81 percent of the cases of late syphilitic iritis. The late type of iritis appears on an average nine years after the primary infection, and often exists for years before the diagnosis of syphilis is finally made. The systemic treatment of syphilitic iritis should be carried out in cooperation with the syphilologist. From the syphilis division of the medicai clinic of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Read before the Association for Research in Ophthalmology, June 24, 1930. (This investigation has been supported by a grant from the Committee on Research in Syphilis, Incorporated.) Statistical information here given is based upon 249 cases of syphilitic iritis occurring among over 10,000 syphilitic patients in the syphilis division of the Johns Hopkins Hospital medicai clinic. In 111 cases the iritis was a part of the originai secondary outbreak; in 29 the iritis was a recurrence phenomenon after inadequate treatment of early syphilis; and in the remaining 109 cases involvement of the iris was a late manifestation of the disease. The blood Wassermann test was positive in 97 percent of the early cases, in SS percent of the cases of recurrence, and in 81 percent of the cases of late syphilitic iritis. The late type of iritis appears on an average nine years after the primary infection, and often exists for years before the diagnosis of syphilis is finally made. The systemic treatment of syphilitic iritis should be carried out in cooperation with the syphilologist. From the syphilis division of the medicai clinic of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Read before the Association for Research in Ophthalmology, June 24, 1930. (This investigation has been supported by a grant from the Committee on Research in Syphilis, Incorporated.)