Clinical characteristics and outcomes of people living with HIV and ocular syphilis during the COVID-19 health emergency

Background The global shift in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic led to challenges in the care of people living with HIV. Methods We conducted a retrospective study that aimed to delineate sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and outcomes, of people living with HIV diagnosed with ocular syphilis. Results Fifty-three people living with HIV were identified with ocular syphilis. Thirty-eight (71.6%) presented ocular symptoms. Twenty-three (43.3%) underwent lumbar puncture, 5 (9.4%) were positive for neurosyphilis. Forty-seven (88.6%) received treatment, 32 (68%) received standard treatment with aqueous crystalline penicillin G, and 15 (31.9%) were treated with alternative regimens due to the impossibility of hospitalization. Six (11.3%) individuals were lost to follow-up and/or did not receive treatment. Eighteen (56.2%) out of 32 individuals in the aqueous crystalline penicillin G group experienced serological response, 5 (15.6%) experienced treatment failure, and 9 (28.1%) were lost to follow-up. In the alternative therapy group, 12 out of 15 individuals (80%) experienced serological response. One (6.7%) experienced treatment failure, and 2 (13.3%) were lost to follow-up. Conclusions During the COVID-19 health emergency in Mexico, alternative treatments for ocular syphilis demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes amid challenges in accessing hospitalization.