Can Syphilis Affect Your Eyes

Ocular syphilis can involve almost any eye structure, but posterior uveitis and panuveitis are the most common. Additional manifestations may include anterior uveitis, optic neuropathy, retinal vasculitis and interstitial keratitis. Ocular syphilis may lead to decreased visual acuity including permanent blindness.

How can you tell if you have syphilis in your eye?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines ocular syphilis as clinical symptoms or signs consistent with ocular disease (eg, uveitis, panuveitis, diminished visual acuity, blindness, optic neuropathy, interstitial keratitis, anterior uveitis, or retinal vasculitis) in patients with syphilis of any stage.

How long does it take syphilis to affect eyes?

Syphilitic uveitis can occur as soon as 6 weeks after primary infection, and often follows resolution of other signs of secondary syphilis, or alternatively may be the only systemic sign of syphilis. On the other hand, uveitis may appear years after the initial infection during the late latent stage of syphilis.