Ocular association of HIV infection in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy and the global perspective

Ocular involvement is a common complication of HIV infection. Since the late 1990s, widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has altered the spectrum, and reduced the incidence of ocular involvement in developed countries. The incidence of the most common ocular opportunistic i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical & experimental ophthalmology 2005-06, Vol.33 (3), p.317-329
Main Authors: Ng, Weng T, Versace, Patrick
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AIDS infection
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - etiology
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - immunology
Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use
Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology
Developing Countries
Eye Infections - etiology
Global Health
global perspective
HAART
HIV
HIV Infections - complications
HIV Infections - drug therapy
Humans
immune recovery uveitis
ocular/ophthalmic association
Uveitis - etiology
Uveitis - immunology
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Summary:Ocular involvement is a common complication of HIV infection. Since the late 1990s, widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has altered the spectrum, and reduced the incidence of ocular involvement in developed countries. The incidence of the most common ocular opportunistic infection, cytomegalovirus retinitis, has decreased tremendously. However, immune recovery uveitis secondary to HAART has emerged as a frequent visually threatening condition. Early diagnosis and treatment with periocular steroids is helpful in minimizing visual loss. Clinicians should also be aware that certain antimicrobial agents used to treat opportunistic infections in HIV‐positive patients are associated with potentially serious ocular side effects. In developing countries, where most of the world's 40 million HIV‐positive patients live, the spectrum and incidence of ocular involvement differ from those in developed countries. The lack of HAART availability is among the many causes of these differences, which may include nutritional factors, basic medical care availability and the levels of exposure to different infectious agents. These factors add to the already challenging task of treating ocular complications and preventing blindness in HIV‐positive patients in developing countries.
ISSN:1442-6404
1442-9071
DOI:10.1111/j.1442-9071.2005.01001.x