Ophthalmic outcomes after prenatal and postnatal treatment of congenital toxoplasmosis

Antoine P. Brézin*, Philippe Thulliez, Jacques Couvreur, Roberto Nobré, Rima Mcleod, Marilyn B. Mets

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

59 Scopus citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe the ophthalmologic outcomes of cases of congenital toxoplasmosis treated prenatally and postnatally. DESIGN: Observational case series. METHODS: Follow-up ophthalmologic examinations of 18 children born to mothers who were infected before 25 weeks gestation were performed concurrently by two ophthalmologists. The infection in these children was first suspected when their mothers seroconverted during gestation. Toxoplasmic infection of the fetus was diagnosed by fetal blood or amniotic fluid analysis. Mothers were treated by a regimen of alternating pyrimethamine-sulfonamides and spiramycin during gestation. Pyrimethamine-sulfonamides treatment was continued from birth to 1 year of age. RESULTS: The median age of the children was 4.5 years (range 1-11), when the follow-up ophthalmologic examinations were performed. Visual acuity was decreased in only one child, who had extensive bilateral macular and peripheral lesions. A posterior pole scar was noted in four eyes (four children) for whom visual acuity remained normal. Peripheral lesions were observed in nine eyes (five children). Both eyes were normal in 11 of 18 (61%) of the children. CONCLUSIONS: In these children at a high risk for congenital toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis, a favorable visual outcome was observed in all but one case.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)779-784
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican journal of ophthalmology
Volume135
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2003

Funding

This study was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant AIR0I27, and by awards from the Michael Reese Physicians Research and Education Foundation and the Toxoplasmosis Research Institute. Rima McLeod is the Jules and Doris Stein Research to Prevent Blindness Professor at the University of Chicago.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology

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