title: Clinical spectrum of 15 patients with HIV-related ocular involvement in Tehran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of HIV-related ocular involvement and to describe the characteristics of involvement in a special clinic in Tehran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross sectional study, 141 patients (125 male and 16 female, 282 eyes) of HIV-infected patients with various stages of HIV infection that were referred to Center of behavioral diseases were evaluated during a period of 7 months. Every patient had a complete profile including demographic data, method of HIV transmission, recent CD4 T cell lymphocyte count, serological studies for common sexual or blood-born viruses and toxoplasmosis, history of antiretroviral therapy, and associated systemic disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 141 patients were evaluated. HIV-related ocular involvement was detected in 15 patients (10.6%), including 3 mycobacterium tuberculosis-related choroiditis, 2 cytomegalovirus retinitis, 2 retinal toxoplasmosis, 2 herpes simplex virus-related lesions, 1 HIV-associated retinopathy, 1 herpes zoster ophthalmicus, 1 undetermined vitritis, and 3 cases of cranial nerve involvement including 2 cases of gaze palsy and 1 case of papilitis. In our study, mean CD4 T cell lymphocyte count was fewer in patients with ocular involvement than in patients without ocular involvement (204.7±123.8 vs 403.7±339.7, P=0.029), but there was no difference in other possible associated factors between two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mycobacterium tuberculosis-related choroiditis and neurophthalmic lesions are the most common HIV-related ocular involvements in Tehran that is different from those of recent publications in developed countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Research Center, Farabi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.forename: Giv
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heidari-Bateni
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zarei
authors.forename: Parastou
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kheirandish
authors.forename: Mohammadhosein
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malekmadani
authors.forename: Minoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohraz
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.forename: Mohammad Taher
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rajabi