title: Syphilitic retinitis. A cause of necrotizing retinitis.
abstract: A healthy-appearing male patient presented with signs of unilateral fibrinous iritis, necrotizing retinitis, retinal vasculitis, and vitritis, suggestive of a herpesvirus retinitis or acute retinal necrosis syndrome (ARN). The patient, an active homosexual, withheld the details of his sexual history, portraying himself as exclusively heterosexual. With the exception of a positive VDRL and FTA-ABS, the workup was negative. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid confirmed the presence of neurosyphilis. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous penicillin, which resulted in a complete visual recovery. Syphilitic retinitis must be considered in evaluating patients with necrotizing retinitis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000150:complications; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D012173:Retinitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis
chemical_list: D010400:Penicillin G