[Diagnostic and treatment difficulties in patients with HIV and AIDS infections; the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration]

Abstract

At present, the immunodeficiency syndrome has became pandemic. In these conditions, every doctor, no matter his profile, will have to carry out patients with AIDS. This multisystemic disease goes beyond the limits of a single medical discipline, presenting a lot of clinical manifestations. In ophthalmology, the infection with immunodeficiency virus has a lot of clinical aspects. In the beginning stages, the ocular manifestations are nonspecific, often being the prime symptoms of the general infection. In time, the disease is advancing and the opportunistic infections are becoming very frequent. In the latest stages of the diseases, one can see ocular complications, recurrences of the retinitis and also accidents caused or related with therapy. We have formulated an algorithm of diagnosis, together with some elements of etiology, extremely important for the ocular determinations of the systemic disease. We have presented some general idea about the points, the aim and the principles of the antiretroviral treatment and about the monitoring activity of the disease. We have also presented an algorithm for the initiation of the treatment. As a conclusion, we notice the significance of a close cooperation between doctors, for the diagnostic and also for the therapeutical activity.