Syphilitic uveitis in a Singaporean population.
OBJECTIVE
To report the presentations of syphilitic uveitides in Singapore.


METHODS
Retrospective noncomparative observational case series of 18 eyes from 12 patients with ocular syphilis between 2004 and 2009.


RESULTS
Patients were mainly male (91.7%). Median age was 49.5 (24-84) years. Initial visual acuity varied from 6/6 to counting fingers (CF) and was ≥6/12 in 7 eyes (38.8%). Blurring of vision (n = 11, 61.1%) was the most common presenting complaint. Anterior uveitis and panuveitis were both most common (n = 6, 33.3%). Treponemal and nontreponemal serologies were positive in 12 (100.0%) and 10 (83.3%) patients, respectively. Patients were treated systematically with penicillin therapy by infectious disease physicians.


CONCLUSIONS
Ocular syphilis is seeing a worldwide resurgence. Although anterior uveitis and panuveitis were most common in this study, there was a large spectrum of ocular manifestations. Syphilitic uveitides can potentially cause severe loss of vision but are effectively treated by an appropriate regimen of penicillin.
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore , Singapore .
Sae Cheong
SC
Yap
Yar Li
YL
Tan
Martin T W
MT
Chio
Stephen C
SC
Teoh
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D010400:Penicillin G