Ocular Manifestations of HIV

Excerpt

HIV is a retrovirus that causes a multisystemic disease called AIDS. On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report detailing cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in 5 previously healthy young men in Los Angeles, California. These cases, involving men who have sex with men, were later identified as the first reported instances of AIDS in the United States. Ocular manifestations are commonly observed in patients with HIV infection. Opportunistic infections, vascular abnormalities, neoplasms, neuro-ophthalmic conditions, and adverse effects of medications can cause ocular involvement in patients with HIV infection.