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. 2021 Mar-Apr;37(2):e69-e71.
doi: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000001780.

Ocular Syphilis Causing Panophthalmitis

Basil Mathews  1 , Roshan George, Jan Niklas Ulrich
Affiliations

Ocular Syphilis Causing Panophthalmitis

Basil Mathews et al. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2021 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum which is undergoing a global resurgence since its initial decline in the late 1980s. The authors present the case of a 30-year-old Caucasian female who was transferred to our institution for left-sided orbital cellulitis and ultimately diagnosed with ocular syphilis causing panophthalmitis. She was treated with intravenous penicillin and other broad-spectrum antibiotics, topical prednisolone, and cycloplegia, resulting in full recovery. Timely recognition of ocular syphilis by healthcare professionals is key in the prevention of visual sequelae from the infection.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial or conflicts of interest to disclose.

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