Long term ocular and neurological involvement in severe congenital toxoplasmosis.
OBJECTIVE
This study was set up to determine the long term ocular and systemic sequelae in patients with severe congenital toxoplasmosis.


METHODS
Cross sectional and retrospective study of 17 patients with severe congenital toxoplasmosis.


RESULTS
In addition to chorioretinitis (100%), the most common abnormal ocular features were optic nerve atrophy (83%), visual acuity of less than 0.1 (85%), strabismus, and microphthalmos. In 50% of cases we observed iridic abnormalities and about 40% developed a cataract. Overt endocrinological disease, diagnosed in five of 15 patients, included panhypopituitarism (n = 2), gonadal failure with dwarfism (n = 1), precocious puberty with dwarfism and thyroid deficiency (n = 1), and diabetes mellitus and thyroid deficiency (n = 1). The observed endocrinological involvement was associated in all cases with obstructive hydrocephalus with a dilated third ventricle and optic nerve atrophy.


CONCLUSIONS
The recognition of long term ocular, neurological, and endocrinological sequelae of congenital toxoplasmosis is important for medical management of these severely handicapped patients.
Meenken
C
C
Department of Ophthalmo-Immunology, The Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute, Amsterdam.
Assies
J
J
van Nieuwenhuizen
O
O
Holwerda-van der Maat
W G
WG
van Schooneveld
M J
MJ
Delleman
W J
WJ
Kinds
G
G
Rothova
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008850:Microphthalmos / Q000209:etiology; D009896:Optic Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013285:Strabismus / Q000209:etiology; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital*; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital*; D014792:Visual Acuity