TITLE:
Ocular Findings in HIV-Positive Children in Two Hospital Facilities in Yaoundé, Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Christelle Domngang, Nelly Kamgaing, Chantal Nanfack Ngoune, Josephine Ngapou Chapeh, Giles Kagmeni
KEYWORDS:
HAART, Uveitis, children, Retinitis, eye, HIV, CD4
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ophthalmology,
Vol.10 No.2,
May
22,
2020
ABSTRACT: Background: HIV infection in children as
well as adults remain a disease with potential multisystemic disorders despite the increased use of Highly Active
Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). The aim of this work was to determine the profile of eye diseases among HIV-positive
children aged 5 to 15 years in the
Mother and Child Centre of the Chantal Biya Foundation and the University
Hospital Centre (UHC) in Yaoundé. Materials and Methods: an analytical
study was conducted from June 1, to July 31, 2019. Our sample consisted of all
children aged 5 - 18 years who were HIV positive and whose parent or legal guardian gave his or her consent. A complete clinical examination was performed.
The following variables were collected: socio-demographic data, Immunological data. A
comprehensive eye exam was also performed. Data were analysed by the Epi info 3.5.4 software. Results: A
total of 53 children were retained for the study. The population
consisted of 28 boys (52.3%), for a sex ratio of 1.12. The mean age was 12.7 ±
4.2 years [5 - 18 years]. And 84.9% of
children had normal immune status. The average duration of HAART was 8.3
± 3.9 years [0 to 16 years] with more than half (50.9%) of the children on treatment
for more than 8 years. The main eye complaints were pruritus (11.32%), eye pain
(11.32%) and tingling (9.43%). The frequency of ophthalmological manifestations
was 52.8% with adnexal involvement the most frequent (34%), followed by
anterior (7.5%) and posterior segment involvement (1.9%). Anterior segment
involvement was marked by granulomatous anterior
uveitis, keratouveitis and corneal ulcer. A cytomegalovirus retinitis and a macular scar of a unilateral retinitis were
found in 2 patients. In a multivariate
analysis, elevated CD4 count (>500) was associated with ocular
manifestations. Conclusion: In the HAART era, an ocular examination is mandatory to prevent harmful eye diseases among children
because ophthalmological diseases remain frequent. Although they are
most often lesions of the annexes, corneal and chorioretinal involvement
can be detrimental for the vision.