After 10 years, old sexually-transmitted infection makes comeback in Chennai
Ekatha.Ann@timesgroup.com 05.03.2018
Chennai: Syphilis — once considered the scourge of rulers, artists and military servicemen — is re-emerging. And cases are being picked up by an unlikely source: neighbourhood eye doctors.
After a decade-long lull, ophthalmologists say they are seeing a resurgence of syphilis in the eye, an ocular manifestation of the sexually transmitted infection. In its advanced stage, it could render a person blind.
The first time 45-year-old Sridhar* consulted doctors at Sankara Nethralya in Chennai with prolonged rednessin his right eye, they suspected conjunctivitis. Two weeks later, he returned. This time, he complained his vision was blurry.
“On a hunch we took a sample from his eye and referred him to a venereologist,” said Dr Pathopratim Majumder, consultant ophthalmologist at the hospital. He tested positive for the sexually transmitted infection.
Dr Majumder said although ocular syphilis is not a new phenomenon, recent resurgence in the incidence of overall syphilis, particularly among HIV-positive individuals, has sparked a new interest in an old disease. “The infection is still rare. But as many doctors are still unaware that syphilis is back, they don’t actively lookfor it,” said the doctor, whose paper reviewing the clinical presentation and diagnosis of ocular syphilis was published recently in peer-reviewed scientific journal Ocular Immunology and Inflammation.
Syphilis, caused by bacterium Treponema pallidum, usually surfaces in the body as firm painless sores. If left untreated, the sores, doctors say, usually go away within three to six weeks. The bacterium, however, stays in the body and can progress to cause rashes, sore throat, and headache.
It can also affect the central nervoussystem and induce swelling of the protective membrane covering the brain and the uvea – the vascular middle layer of the eye.
Though neurological and ocular manifestations are often thought of as symptoms of late syphilis, in the recent cases picked up by ophthalmologists vision problems appear to be an early symptom.
“Some of these patients had no other definitive symptoms,” said Dr Amar Agarwal, chairman, Dr Agarwal’s Eye hospital. Ocular syphilis presents as blurry vision, light sensitivity, double vision, eye pain and foreign body sensation.
Dr Agarwal said doctors are also picking up symptoms of other STDs including AIDS based on infections in the eyes .
“In some instances, the patient is aware of the HIV statusbut comestousfor help as eye infections are often overlooked in regular STD/ STI tests. Ophthalmologists, on the other hand, still haven’t started linking the two, as syphilis has been away for a long time,” said the doctor.
(*name changed)
Ekatha.Ann@timesgroup.com 05.03.2018
Chennai: Syphilis — once considered the scourge of rulers, artists and military servicemen — is re-emerging. And cases are being picked up by an unlikely source: neighbourhood eye doctors.
After a decade-long lull, ophthalmologists say they are seeing a resurgence of syphilis in the eye, an ocular manifestation of the sexually transmitted infection. In its advanced stage, it could render a person blind.
The first time 45-year-old Sridhar* consulted doctors at Sankara Nethralya in Chennai with prolonged rednessin his right eye, they suspected conjunctivitis. Two weeks later, he returned. This time, he complained his vision was blurry.
“On a hunch we took a sample from his eye and referred him to a venereologist,” said Dr Pathopratim Majumder, consultant ophthalmologist at the hospital. He tested positive for the sexually transmitted infection.
Dr Majumder said although ocular syphilis is not a new phenomenon, recent resurgence in the incidence of overall syphilis, particularly among HIV-positive individuals, has sparked a new interest in an old disease. “The infection is still rare. But as many doctors are still unaware that syphilis is back, they don’t actively lookfor it,” said the doctor, whose paper reviewing the clinical presentation and diagnosis of ocular syphilis was published recently in peer-reviewed scientific journal Ocular Immunology and Inflammation.
Syphilis, caused by bacterium Treponema pallidum, usually surfaces in the body as firm painless sores. If left untreated, the sores, doctors say, usually go away within three to six weeks. The bacterium, however, stays in the body and can progress to cause rashes, sore throat, and headache.
It can also affect the central nervoussystem and induce swelling of the protective membrane covering the brain and the uvea – the vascular middle layer of the eye.
Though neurological and ocular manifestations are often thought of as symptoms of late syphilis, in the recent cases picked up by ophthalmologists vision problems appear to be an early symptom.
“Some of these patients had no other definitive symptoms,” said Dr Amar Agarwal, chairman, Dr Agarwal’s Eye hospital. Ocular syphilis presents as blurry vision, light sensitivity, double vision, eye pain and foreign body sensation.
Dr Agarwal said doctors are also picking up symptoms of other STDs including AIDS based on infections in the eyes .
“In some instances, the patient is aware of the HIV statusbut comestousfor help as eye infections are often overlooked in regular STD/ STI tests. Ophthalmologists, on the other hand, still haven’t started linking the two, as syphilis has been away for a long time,” said the doctor.
(*name changed)
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