Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32248327›Full record

ArticleDocumenta ophthalmologica. Advances in ophthalmology2020

Retinal dysfunction of syphilitic outer retinopathy.

Shinya Inoue, Tomoharu Nishimura, Noriko Takanashi, Shigeki Machida

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In one paragraph

Article in Documenta ophthalmologica. Advances in ophthalmology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 46% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Putative mechanisms of ocular inflammation in syphilis.Journal of ophthalmic inflammation and infection · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Shinya InoueDepartment of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, 343-8555, Japan.
Tomoharu NishimuraDepartment of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, 343-8555, Japan.
Noriko TakanashiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, 343-8555, Japan.
Shigeki MachidaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, 2-1-50 Minami-Koshigaya, Koshigaya, Saitama, 343-8555, Japan. machidas@dokkyomed.ac.jp.
Social Insurance Saitama Chuo Hospital · JPDokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe present our findings in two cases of retinal dysfunction caused by syphilitic outer retinopathy. CASE 1: A 59-year-old man visited our clinic complaining of blurred vision in his left eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated an absence of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) in the left eye. A round yellowish-white lesion was observed in the posterior pole of the left fundus. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) showed hyperfluorescent areas in the posterior pole of both fundi although no specific ophthalmoscopic findings were seen in the right eye. The amplitudes of the LA 3.0 1 Hz and LA 3.0 30 Hz ERG responses were reduced with better preservation of the rod responses. Based on a strong positivity to the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) assay and the Treponema pallidum hemagglutination (TPHA) test, he was diagnosed with syphilitic outer retinopathy and treated with systemic antibiotics. The treatment resulted in a restoration of the retinal structures and cone function. CASE 2: A 47-year-old man was referred to our clinic complaining of reduced vision in both eyes. Although the ocular fundus appeared normal, FAF showed a diffuse hyperfluorescent area in the posterior pole and multiple hyperfluorescent spots. Indocyanine green angiography showed multiple confluent areas of hypofluorescence. OCT demonstrated irregular EZs in both eyes. The amplitudes of the LA 3.0 1 Hz and LA 3.0 30 Hz ERG responses were slightly reduced with prolonged implicit times. These findings are comparable to the findings in patients with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome. However, the strong positivity to the RPR and TPHA tests led us to diagnose the patient with outer retinopathy caused by syphilis. Systemic administration of antibiotics resulted in the restoration of the retinal structures and retinal function.

conclusionsSyphilitic outer retinopathy affected the retinal structures and function that can be restored by antibiotic treatments.

Indexed as

AmpicillinAnti-Bacterial AgentsElectroretinographyEye Infections, BacterialFluorescein AngiographyHemagglutination TestsHumansMaleMiddle AgedOphthalmoscopyRetinaRetinal DiseasesSyphilisTomography, Optical CoherenceAmpicillinAnti-Bacterial AgentsAZOORERGMEWDSSyphilisSyphilitic outer retinopathy

Identifiers

PMID32248327
OpenAlexW3014574808

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.