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Abstract
Purpose: 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.