HIV/AIDS and blindness

Nearly 34 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS: ocular complic ations are common, affecting 50% to 75% of all such patients at some point during the course of their illness. Cytomegalovirus retinitis is by far the most frequent cause of vision loss in patients with AIDS. Although the pre valence of cytomegalovirus retinitis is decreasing in industrialized countr ies because of the widespread availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy, between 10% and 20% of HIV-infected patients worldwide can be expe cted to lose vision in one or both eyes as a result of ocular cytomegalovir us infection. Less frequent but important causes of bilateral vision loss i n patients with HIV/AIDS include varicella tester virus and herpes simplex virus retinitis, HIV-related ischaemic microvasculopathy, ocular syphilis, ocular tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, and ocular toxic or allergic drug reactions. At present, most patients with HIV/AIDS in developing count ries who lose their vision have a very limited life expectancy. As antiretr oviral therapy makes its way to these countries, however, both life expecta ncy and the prevalence of blindness related to HIV/AIDS can be expected to increase dramatically.