Bilateral ischemic maculopathy in a patient with AIDS

PURPOSE. To describe ischemic maculopathy as a cause of sudden bilateral decreased vision in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. METHODS. A 44-year-old HIV-positive woman presented with bilateral decreased vision and normal examination, except for pale maculae and retinal vascular tortuosity. Fluorescein angiography showed bilateral enlargement of the foveal avascular zone with perifoveal dye leakage. CONCLUSIONS. Ischemic maculopathy is a potential cause of decreased vision in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, even in patients with immune sustained recovery. This condition can be almost totally reversible, in the absence of other concomitant ocular pathologies.