[Panophthalmitis and results of HIV tests. Experience at the Cocody University Hospital Center in Abidjan, Ivory Coast].

PURPOSE: We assessed the frequency of panophthalmitis in HIV-infected patients.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Thirty-seven cases of panophthalmitis were screened out of 420 hospitalized patients of ophthalmology department of Cocody Teaching University Hospital, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from January to October 1995. HIV-tests were performed in 11 patients.

RESULTS

Mean age was 40 years (from 10 months to 75 years). Four patients (36.4% of tested patients) were infected by HIV. Contrary to seronegative patients, panophthalmitis cases in HIV-infected patients occurred spontaneously without any apparent exogenous cause (foreign bodies). Most of patients were young (from 18 to 47 years old).

CONCLUSION

We draw the attention of eye specialists of the frequency of panophthalmitis without exogenous apparent cause in HIV patients. It would be interesting to perform a transvitreal needle biopsy in order to search for intraocular toxoplasmosis that should be the first cause.