BJO at a glance
OCULAR DISEASE AND HIV IN AFRICA
The scourge of HIV continues nearly uncontrolled in Africa. Available data suggest that ocular disease caused by AIDS is different in Africa. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is much less common whereas herpes zoster ophthalmicus and conjunctival squamous cell tumours are more prevalent. Beare and coworkers studied 307 patients with HIV infection; 36% had tuberculosis and 17% myobacteraemia. Of those with tuberculosis 94% had HIV. Surprisingly, choroidal granulomas were found in only four patients, all of whom had clinically obvious AIDS. Seventeen per cent of patients with AIDS had microangiopathy yet only one had signs of active CMV infection. The reason for the rarity of CMV retinitis in Africa is generally considered to be due to mortality of people with AIDS early in the disease before or shortly after the onset of profound immunosuppression. Alternatively it has been suggested that differences in race, HIV subtype, and comorbidity may influence the occurrence of CMV retinitis. See p 1076
LATANOPROST INDUCED IRIS COLOUR CHANGE
Increased pigmentation of the iris is a well known side effect of both naturally occurring prostaglandins and prostaglandin analogues, such as isopropyl unoprostone and latanoprost. The reported incidence of …
