The Classification System Of HIV Infection For The Optometrist: When To Expect Ocular Manifestations In Your Patient.

Ocular involvement occurs in an estimated 70 percent of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that one million people in the United States are infected with the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the retrovirus responsible for AIDS. It is inevitable that the optometrist of today will be providing eyecare to patients who are HIV positive. In order to
provide this patient population with the most appropriate care, it is important to understand the staging of the disease. With each progressive stage of HIV infection comes the possibility of an array of ocular manifestations. By knowing the most common ophthalmic disorders found in each stage, the optometrist can make a better differential diagnosis and initiate the proper treatment.