A CASE OF BILATERAL INTERSTITIAL KERATITIS AS THE SOLE MANIFESTATION OF A LATE CONGENITAL SYPHILIS

Interstitial keratitis is a nonulcerative stromal inflammation, commonly an immune mediated response to antigen, syphilis being a leading cause. Congenital syphilitic keratitis accounts for 90 per centof untreated cases in the age group of 5 to 25years and 10 per cent were acquired syphilitic keratitis. IK can be a sole presentation in an untreated late congenital syphilis as in this case report. Hence diagnosis of interstitial keratitis must be followed by screening for Treponemapallidum to prevent and treat its systemic manifestations and transmission.