Table 3. Comparison of current review with previous studies of ocular syphilis.
N, number of patients; IV, intravenous; IM, intramuscular; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; +ve, positive; -ve, negative; U, unavailable data; NS, not specified
| Variables | Current review | Sahin et al. [7] | Kim et al. [5] | Moradi et al. [4] | Shen et al. [16] | Oliver et al. [2] | Yap et al. [17] |
| Country/year | Malaysia/2017 | Turkey/2016 | Korea/2016 | US/2014 | China/2015 | US/2016 | Singapore/2014 |
| Duration (total in years) | 2013–2017 (5) | 2012–2014 (3) | 2002–2014 (12) | 1984–2014 (31) | 2009–2014 (6) | 2014–2015 (2) | 2004–2009 (6) |
| N (number of eyes) | 10 (13) | 12 (17) | 39 (45) | 35 (61) | 13 (21) | 388 (U) | 12 (18) |
| Population HIV +ve/-ve | HIV -ve | HIV -ve | HIV -ve | HIV +ve and HIV -ve | HIV +ve and HIV-ve | HIV +ve and HIV -ve | HIV +ve and HIV -ve |
| HIV +ve | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 198 | 3 |
| HIV -ve | 10 | 12 | 39 | 16 | 12 | 190 | 7 |
| Unknown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mean/median age | 69.8 ± 6.4 | 43.8 | 61.0 ± 11.4 | 49.4 ± 16.5 | 50.3 ± 5.9 | 44.0 | 49.5 |
| Gender (%) | |||||||
| Male | 3 (30.0) | 7 (58.3) | 21 (53.8) | 26 (74.3) | 7 (53.8) | 362 (93.3) | 11 (91.7) |
| Female | 7 (70.0) | 5 (41.7) | 18 (46.2) | 9 (25.7) | 6 (42.9) | 26 (6.7) | 1 (8.3) |
| Symptoms (%) | |||||||
| Blurring of vision | 12 (85.7) | U | U | 17 (27.9) | 11(84.6) | 210 (64.4) | 11 (61.1) |
| Blind/visual loss | 0 (0) | U | U | 13 (21.3) | 0 (0) | 107 (32.8) | 0 (0) |
| Redness of eye or eye pain | 4 (30.8) | U | U | U | 2 (15.6) | 46 (14.1) | 5 (27.8) |
| Previous history of syphilis | 1 (10.0) | U | 15 (38.5) | 11 (31.4) | U | U | 2 (16.7) |
| Mean/median duration of symptoms | 11.4 ± 16.7 months | U | 2.4 weeks | 2 months | U | U | U |
| Mean/median follow up duration | 23.1 ± 18.2 months | 16.3 months | U | 9 months | 4.1 ± 5.8 months | U | 26 months |
| Sexual behaviour (%) | |||||||
| Heterosexual | 10 (100) | U | 11 (28.2) | U | U | U | 10 (83.3) |
| Bisexual | 0 (0) | U | 4 (10.3) | U | U | U | 2 (16.7) |
| MSM | 0 (0) | U | 3 (7.6) | 9 (25.7) | 0 (0) | 249 (68.8) | 0 (0) |
| Unknown | 0 (0) | U | 21 (53.8) | U | U | U | 0 (0) |
| Laterality (%) | |||||||
| Both eyes | 3 (30.0) | 5 (41.6) | 6 (15.3) | 26 (74.3) | 8 (61.5) | U | 6 (50) |
| Unilateral | 7 (70.0) | 7 (58.3) | 33 (84.6) | 9 (25.7) | 5 (38.4) | U | 6 (50) |
| Visual acuity presentation (%) | |||||||
| 6/12 or better | 1 (7.7) | 11 (64.7) | U | 31 (50.8) | 10 (47.6) | U | 7 (38.8) |
| 6/15 - 6/60 | 5 (38.5) | 5 (41.7) | U | 17 (27.9) | 8 (38.1) | U | 9 (50.0) |
| > 6/60 | 7 (53.8) | 1 (5.8) | U | 13 (21.3) | 1 (4.8) | U | 2 (11.1) |
| Unrecorded | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | U | 0 (0) | 2 (9.5) | U | 0 (0) |
| Clinical features (%) | |||||||
| Anterior uveitis | 2 (15.4) | 5 (29.4) | 3 (6.7) | 10 (16.4) | 1 (4.8) | NS | 6 (33.3) |
| Intermediate uveitis | 0 (0) | 2 (11.8) | 2 (4.4) | 2 (3.3) | 0 (0) | NS | 1 (5.6) |
| Anterior uveitis and intermediate uveitis | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 12 (9.7) | 0 (0) | NS | 0 (0) |
| Posterior uveitis | 7 (53.8) | 5 (29.4) | 17 (37.8) | 5 (8.2) | 13 (61.9) | 20 (12.7) | 5 (27.8) |
| Posterior uveitis and intermediate uveitis | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (6.7) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | NS | 0 (0) |
| Panuveitis | 4 (30.8) | 2 (11.8) | 13 (28.9) | 28 (45.9) | 2 (9.5) | NS | 6 (33.3) |
| Optic nerve involvement | 2 (15.4) | 1 (5.9) | 5 (11.1) | 8 (13.6) | 5 (23.8) | 18 (11.4) | 6 (33.3) |
| Retinal detachment | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 6 (3.8) | 0 (0) |
| Scleritis | 0 (0) | 2 (11.8) | 0 (0) | 4 (6.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Treatment (%) | |||||||
| IV penicilin | 9 (90.0) | 10 (83.3) | 0 (0) | 24 (68.6) | 0 | 230 (59.3) | 8 (66.7) |
| IM penicilin | 1 (10.0) | 0 (0) | 14 (35.9) | 1 (2.9) | 3 (23.0) | NS | 4 (33.3) |
| IV and IM penicilin | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 10 (25.6) | 7 (20.0) | 2 (15.4) | NS | 0 (0) |
| Other antibiotics regime | 0 (0) | 2 (16.7) | 15 (38.5) | 1 (2.9) | 7 (53.8) | NS | 0 (0) |
| No treatment/Unrecorded | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (5.7) | 1 (7.7) | 12 (3.1) | 0 (0) |
| Visual acuity final (%) | |||||||
| 6/12 or better | 4 (30.8) | 13 (76.4) | U | 36 (59.0) | 1 (4.8) | U | 14 (77.8) |
| 6/15 - 6/60 | 5 (38.5) | 4 (23.5) | U | 11 (18.0) | 11 (52.4) | U | 3 (16.7) |
| > 6/60 | 4 (30.8) | 0 (0) | U | 7 (11.4) | 1 (4.8) | U | 1 (5.6) |
| Unrecorded | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | U | 7 (11.4) | 8 (38.1) | U | 0 (0) |
| Recurrence | 2 (20.0) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.2) | U | U | U | 2 (16.7) |