Purpose
1) To define epidemiologic trends in ocular toxoplasmosis from 1973 to 2012 in the Midwestern United States, based on patients seen at a tertiary referral uveitis practice. 2) To define the changing demographic profile of patients presenting with ocular toxoplasmosis in the same clinic.
Methods
A retrospective chart review of all new patients evaluated by the Uveitis Service at the Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary 1973-2012 was performed for final diagnosis, self-reported racial background and country of origin. The percentage of new patients with a final diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis among all new patients was determined over successive five-year time-bands. Racial background, country of origin and gender were further analyzed for all patients with ocular toxoplasmosis.
Results
328 out of 6,798 new patients (4.8%) were diagnosed with ocular toxoplasmosis. There was a progressive decline in the proportion of newly diagnosed toxoplasmosis (Figure 1). This was correlated with a declining proportion of toxoplasmosis among non-Hispanic Caucasians and African Americans (Figure 2). Over time, the proportion of toxoplasmosis cases in Hispanic patients increased, which correlated with an increase in Hispanic patients seen in the clinic. The majority of cases (85.4%) amongst the Hispanic population were in patients born outside of the US.
Conclusions
The diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis at a tertiary referral uveitis service in the Midwestern United States has declined over the past 40 years. This decrease is attributable to a decrease in disease seen in the non-Hispanic Caucasian and African American populations, which is consistent with published epidemiologic seroprevalence data. Over time, a higher proportion of toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in Hispanic patients, reflecting an increase in Hispanic patients born outside the US seen in our clinic.
Keywords: 451 chorioretinitis •
463 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence •
734 toxoplasmosis