Acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis as the presenting symptom of syphilis in an immunocompetent patient

Abstract

Purpose: To report the case of an immunocompetent 62-year old woman with acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis.

Observations: The patient presented with sudden, painless vision loss in the left eye (OS) four months after self-resolving decreased vision in the right eye (OD) which was incorrectly attributed to ischemic optic neuropathy. At the time of presentation, visual acuity (VA) was hand motion OS and 20/30 OD. The dilated fundus exam demonstrated a flat, yellow-white macular lesion, deep to the retinal vasculature with a temporal, curvilinear demarcation line OS and was unremarkable OD. Trace vitreous cells and veils OS were observed. Optical coherence tomography demonstrated loss of photoreceptor layers. Rapid plasma reagin and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption were positive. The patient was treated with intravenous penicillin and prednisolone acetate drops with resolution of vitreous cells and return of VA.

Conclusions and importance: Acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinitis can be the single presenting symptom in syphilis. It is imperative for ophthalmologists to consider this relatively uncommon manifestation of syphilis in the differential in immunocompetent patients presenting with unsuspecting histories and perplexing vision loss.

Keywords: Masquerade conditions; Ocular syphilis; Retina; Treponema pallidum; Vision loss.