Article
Toxoplasmic Retinochoroiditis: Clinical Characteristics and Visual Outcome in a Prospective Study
Registro en:
ALEIXO, Ana Luisa Quintella do Couto et al. Toxoplasmic Retinochoroiditis: Clinical Characteristics and Visual Outcome in a Prospective Study. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis., v. 10, n. 5, p. 1-14, May 2016.
1935-2727
10.1371/journal.pntd.0004685
Autor
Aleixo, Ana Luisa Quintella do Couto
Curi, André Luiz Land
Benchimol, Eliezer Israel
Amendoeira, Maria Regina Reis
Resumen
Purpose
To ascertain the clinical features and visual outcome of toxoplasma retinochoroiditis in a
large series of cases.
Subjects and Methods
Two hundred and thirty subjects diagnosed with active toxoplasma retinochoroiditis were
prospectively followed for periods ranging from 269 to 1976 days. All patients presented
with active retinochoroiditis and positive IgG T. gondii serology at the beginning of the study
and received a standardized drug treatment for toxoplasmosis, both in the first episode and
in the subsequent recurrences.
Results
The group involved 118 (51.3%) men and 112 (48.7%) women, with ages ranging from 14
to 77 years, mean of 32.4 years (SD = 11.38). Primary retinochoroidal lesions were
observed in 52 (22.6%) cases and active retinochoroiditis combined with old scars in 178
(77.4%) subjects at the beginning of the study. A hundred sixty-two recurrent episodes in
104 (45.2%) patients were observed during follow-up. New subclinical retinochoroidal
lesions were detected in 23 of 162 (14.2%) recurrences episodes during the follow-up. Posterior
segment complications were observed in 73 (31.7%) subjects. Retinochoroidal
lesions adjacent to the optic nerve and in the macular area were observed in 27 of 40
(67.5%) cases of severe visual impairment (VA = 20/200 or worse).
Conclusion
Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis in this population had a high recurrence rate after an active
episode. Severe visual impairment was associated with location of the retinochoroidal scar,
recurrences and posterior segment complications. It is crucial to consider the location of the lesion in studies analyzing visual prognosis as a measure for treatment effectiveness and
prevention strategies.