Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the visual outcome of patients with diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis in an University Center in Argentina.
Methods:
This is a retrospective case series study. Clinical records of patients who have diagnosis of active retinitis due to ocular toxoplasmosis at Hospital Universitario Austral were included. Every episode of each patient was included in the study. Collected data from patients included age, gender, visual acuity at baseline, visual acuity at the end of the episode, anterior inflammation, 2+ or more vitreous haze, ocular inflammatory associated signs, acute or chronic infection, origin of the infection, primary or recurrent active retinitis, type of lesion, location, complications, and number of recurrences.
Results:
52 patients with diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis were found (13 females and 22 males). Active retinitis was observed in 39 patients (22 females and 17 males) with a total of 47 active retinitis events. The average age of occurrence of active retinitis events was 34.76 ± 17.26 years. Primary active retinitis was present in 22 patients whereas 25 patients have recurrent disease. Visual acuity at presentation was better than 20/40 in 22 episodes out of 47 (46.80%), whereas visual acuity less than 20/200 was observed in 10 patients out of 47 (21.28%). A total number of 24 complications were detected in 15 patients. Exudative detachment occurs in 6 events with active retinitis in a central location out of 13 and in 2 events out of 26 where the lesion was peripheral (Fisher exact test 0.006). Final visual acuity was better than 20/40 in 33 patients (84.61%) and less than 20/200 in 5 patients (12.82%) . Only 1 patient out of 10 with 1 complication had a final visual acuity less than 20/200. Four out of 5 patients with 2 or more complications had a final visual acuity less than 20/200. The difference of the final visual acuity in these groups was statistically significant (Fisher exact test: 0.022). Recurrences were observed during the studied period in 11 patients out of 29. Seven patients had 1 recurrence and 4 patients had two or more.
Conclusions:
Visual acuity at presentation was less than 20/200 in 22% of the patients. Final visual acuity was less than 20/200 in 12.82% of the patients. Greater number of complications was associated with worse final visual acuity. During the period studied 28.20% of patients developed at least one recurrence.
Keywords: 702 retinitis •
734 toxoplasmosis •
704 retinochoroiditis