SYPHILITIC OUTER RETINOPATHY: A MASQUERADING DIAGNOSIS REVEALED AFTER STEROID-INDUCED PROGRESSION TO PANUVEITIS.

PURPOSE: To report a case of syphilitic outer retinopathy revealed after progression to panuveitis after a course of oral steroids for suspected poison ivy.

METHODS

Retrospective case report.

RESULTS

A 44-year-old diabetic man presented with progressive symptoms of nyctalopia and color vision changes associated with outer retinal disruption on macular imaging but minimal evidence of intraocular inflammation on examination. A short course of oral steroids for an unrelated skin condition induced rapid progression to frank panuveitis with retinal vascular sheathing and retinal whitening. Systemic workup identified syphilis as the etiology. The patient's visual symptoms and disruption of the photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelial layers on OCT improved after treatment with IV penicillin.

CONCLUSION

Syphilitic outer retinopathy represents an unusual manifestation of ocular syphilis that can present with minimal examination findings. We present here a case of oral steroid use resulting in the progression of syphilitic outer retinopathy to a more fulminant form of syphilitic uveitis that ultimately revealed the correct diagnosis and prompted the correct intervention. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high level of suspicion for this treatable condition.