AIM: To investigate the clinical features of acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)patients associated ocular diseases in Urumqi and the relationship between ocular fundus manifestations and CD4⁺T cell count.

METHODS: The fundus of 93 AIDS patients were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy. The clinical symptoms and CD4⁺T cell count of those patients with fundus changes were analyzed.

RESULTS: Thirteen patients were found having fundus changes which occurred in one eye of 4 patients and two eyes of 9 patients, respectively, and the total detection rate was 14.0%. Seven patients had vision changes, and the main clinical features of retinal lesion were cotton wool spot and hemorrhage of retina. Four patients were diagnosed as retinitis with cytomegalovirus(CMV)infection and 9 patients were diagnosed as HIV related retinopathy diseases. Seven patients among 37 patients with CD4⁺T cell count ≤100cell/μL had fundus changes related AIDS, and the detection rate was 18.9%; while 6 patients among 56 patients with CD4⁺T cell count >100cell/μL had fundus changes related AIDS, and the detection rate was 10.7%. There was statistical difference between the two detection rates(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: No specificity was found of those patients with the clinical manifestation of HIV-related retinopathy, and those patients are easy to be missed diagnosis. A number of AIDS patients have fundus changes without any vision changes. Therefore, it is very useful for AIDS patients to be carried out the routine fundus examination for the early diagnosis and treatment.