Download or read book Ocular Manifestations of HIV written by Deshundra Antoine and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The virus either directly eliminates infected cells, indirectly causes the apoptosis of unifected cells, or significantly decreases the surviving cells' ability to fight infection. It is this multifactorial mechanism of action that causes the severe immunosuppression and subsequent opportunistic inffection that is pathognomonic for HIV/AIDS. It is also the reason HIV is able to affect all bodily systems, including the eye. Ocular manifestations of HIV infected patients can range in severity from mild blepharitis to vision threatening cytomegalovirus retinitis. However, if detected at an early stage, advancements in AIDS' therapeutic management have made prevention of vision loss very likely. This is evident in the fact that industrialized countries (Such as America) are experiencing a significant decrease in the prevalence of HIV-related vision loss among patients who receive prompt treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy.