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Images in clinical medicine

Ocular ischemic syndrome reveals a syphilitic carotid stenosis

Ocular ischemic syndrome reveals a syphilitic carotid stenosis

Ibrahim Boumehdi1,&, Hala Elbelidi1

 

1Université Mohammed 5 de Rabat, Hôpital des Spécialités de Rabat, Chu Ibn Sina, Maroc

 

 

&Corresponding author
Ibrahim Boumehdi, Université Mohammed 5 de Rabat, Hôpital des Spécialités de Rabat, Chu Ibn Sina, Maroc

 

 

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We report the case of a 60-year-old male, treated for hypertension. This patient presented to our hospital with blurred vision in the left eye. His best corrected visual acuity was 10/10 in the right eye and reduced to light perception in the left eye. The anterior segment examination was unre-markable. Fundoscopic examination of the left eye revealed papillay atropy, narrowed retinal ar-teries, and ghost vessls. We can also see some arterial clots. Fundoscopic examination of the right eye was unremarkable. Carotid artery ultrasound found an 80% stenosis in the left eye and a 30% stenosis in the right eye. The syphilis assay was positive. The patient underwent a carotid endarter-ectomy. Daily intramuscular benzathine penicillin was given for 14 days.

 

 

Figure 1: A) microscopic section of a resected hydatid cyst with protoscolices nearby the thick acellular laminated membrane of the parasite (inset shows budding from the tiny germinative layer) (HE x100, inset x200); B) strong PAS stain positivity of the acellular membrane but no viable protoscolices (PAS stain x200)