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 language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 779-784 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | American journal of ophthalmology |
Volume | 135 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 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