title: Ocular manifestations in 321 male consecutive cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome at an HIV-referral centre.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most studies on the ocular manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are on cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), not including asymptomatic carriers of HIV. With this background, we proceeded to study all the HIV-infected individuals attending our centre, with the aim: a. To study the ocular manifestations of HIV. b. To correlate those manifestations with the CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts. c. To compare our findings with other studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study involving a detailed ocular examination of 321 cases of HIV/AIDS was done. Automated perimetry, digital fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography were done for relevant cases. The last 125 cases were subjected to Schirmer's test and tear film break-up time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 321 male HIV cases (642 eyes), with a mean age of 36.78 years, mean CD4+ count of 276.54 cells/μL, 78.82% of them being on anti-retroviral therapy. Ocular manifestations were seen in 87 out of 321 cases, 72.41% of them being asymptomatic carriers of HIV. The ocular findings seen were conjunctival microvasculopathy, molluscum contagio-sum, dry eye, neuro-ophthalmic manifestations, anterior uveitis, posterior uveitis, and HIV retinopathy, only the last three of which had a significant association with CD4+ counts. The overall prevalence of ocular lesions also had a significant association with CD4+ counts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular manifestations are common in asymptomatic carriers of HIV. Anterior uveitis, posterior uveitis and HIV retinopathy have a significant association with CD4+ counts and are reliable indicators of low CD4+ count.
authors.affiliation: Graded Specialist (Ophthalmology), Military Hospital, Shillong, India.
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ambiya
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 40, India.
authors.forename: Amitabh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sagar
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 40, India.
authors.forename: Sagarika
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patyal
authors.affiliation: Deputy Commandant, Command Hospital (NC), Udhampur, India.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mohanty
keywords: Asymptomatic carriers; Human immunodeficiency virus; Ocular manifestations