Screening for cytomegalovirus retinitis in HIV-positive and AIDS patients. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Screening for cytomegalovirus retinitis in HIV-positive and AIDS patients.

QJM. 1995 Dec;88(12):899-903. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96167124
Sandy CJ; Ferris JD; Bloom PA; Coker RJ; Pinching AJ; Migdal CS; Western Eye Hospital (St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust), London, UK.


Abstract: The ability of physicians to screen for AIDS-related cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) was studied at a London AIDS centre. Patients had undergone direct ophthalmoscopy as part of their general examination by the physicians and were referred if fundal abnormalities were found, if a focus of extra-ocular CMVR was present or if the patient complained of visual symptoms. The provisional diagnoses of the physicians were compared with the final diagnoses of the ophthalmologists. Of 348 consecutive patients referred for an ophthalmic opinion, the physicians made the correct diagnosis in 69% of those referred with a provisional diagnosis of CMVR, in 66% of those with normal fundi and in 81% of those with toxoplasma chorioretinitis. Those cases of CMVR which were misdiagnosed by the physicians were usually mistaken for other retinal pathology which would warrant a specialist referral. Screening for CMVR in HIV-positive and AIDS patients may safely be undertaken by physicians familiar with the ocular manifestations of HIV-related disease.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*COMPLICATIONS Adolescence Adult Aged AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/COMPLICATIONS/*DIAGNOSIS Cytomegalovirus Retinitis/COMPLICATIONS/*DIAGNOSIS Diagnostic Errors Female Human HIV Seropositivity/*COMPLICATIONS Male Middle Age Observer Variation Ophthalmoscopy Sensitivity and Specificity JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/KWDcomplicationsadolescenceadultagedaids-relatedopportunisticinfections/complications/KWDdiagnosiscytomegalovirusretinitis/complications/KWDdiagnosisdiagnosticerrorsfemalehumanhivseropositivity/KWDcomplicationsmalemiddleageobservervariationophthalmoscopysensitivityandspecificityjournalarticle
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M9660716


Copyright © 1996 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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