Pneumocystis carinii chorioiditis was unknown before the HIV epidemic. In 1987 Pneumocystis carinii were found in the choroidea and two years later the clinical appearance could be described. Infections of choroidea and retina associated with AIDS may not be seen as isolated diseases. Commonly other organs are infected by the same or another organism. In case of AIDS-associated eye infections other organs should be checked for opportunistic disease.
Diagnosis can be difficult.
Because most of all intraocular infections associated with AIDS are CMV retinitis, an effective therapy can be initiated in most cases and in the follow-up a diagnosis can finally be made. Serological testing may be inconclusive because of occasional false-negative findings. Treatment often only suppresses the infections and so ongoing maintenance therapy may be necessary, as in the cases of CMV retinitis and Toxoplasma retinochorioiditis. A variety of different diseases, which can be treated by a multitude of different substances with a lot of adverse effects and contraindications, can complicate the therapeutic modalities used for the management of each individual disorder. Additionally HIV-infected patients suffer from at least two or three different diseases and must be treated lifelong with plenty of substances, which often are given with higher doses than usual.