Syphilitic retinitis. A cause of necrotizing retinitis.

A healthy-appearing male patient presented with signs of unilateral fibrinous iritis, necrotizing retinitis, retinal vasculitis, and vitritis, suggestive of a herpesvirus retinitis or acute retinal necrosis syndrome (ARN). The patient, an active homosexual, withheld the details of his sexual history, portraying himself as exclusively heterosexual. With the exception of a positive VDRL and FTA-ABS, the workup was negative. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid confirmed the presence of neurosyphilis. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous penicillin, which resulted in a complete visual recovery. Syphilitic retinitis must be considered in evaluating patients with necrotizing retinitis.