Ocular Findings Among HIV-Positive Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy in Yola, Adamawa State

HIV infection and its associated immune suppression produce a broad spectrum of ocular manifestations, many of which are manageable with early detection. This study documents the ocular findings among HIV-positive patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, attending from Adamawa State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional hospital-based study will be conducted over six months among 300 adult HIV-positive patients on ART. Each participant will undergo a comprehensive ophthalmic examination including visual acuity assessment, anterior segment evaluation using slit-lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure measurement, and dilated fundus examination. CD4 count, viral load, duration of ART, and current ART regimen will be extracted from clinical records. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression will analyse associations between immune status and specific ocular findings. Common HIV-related ocular manifestations include HIV retinopathy, cytomegalovirus retinitis, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, and dry eye syndrome. This study generates Adamawa-specific evidence for a region with growing HIV burden and limited ophthalmology capacity. Findings will reinforce the clinical case for routine ophthalmic screening of HIV patients at ART clinics and highlight the importance of collaborative HIV and ophthalmology care pathways. Training of ART clinic nurses in basic ocular symptom recognition will be recommended as a task-shifting strategy to improve early detection of sight-threatening HIV-related ocular disease in resource-limited environments. Keywords: HIV, ocular manifestations, antiretroviral therapy, Adamawa State, retinopathy