title: Does atovaquone prolong the disease-free interval of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the efficacy of suppressing a recurrence of Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis after treatment with atovaquone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, nonrandomized, clinical trial. Forty-one immunocompetent patients were treated for Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis with atovaquone between 1999 and 2006. The diagnosis was based on clinical signs alone. Atovaquone was given 750 mg two to three times daily together with oral steroids. Lesion location, time interval until recurrence, visual function, and adverse events were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two eyes of 41 patients were treated with atovaquone for Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis. Side-effects were usually mild and only one patient stopped therapy with atovaquone because of nausea. Reactivation of retinochoroiditis occurred in 18 patients (44%) during a time interval of 3-70 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The therapy of Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis with atovaquone is well tolerated. Our data suggests that therapy with atovaquone has the potential to prolong the time to recurrence of Toxoplasma retinochoroiditis. A prospective randomized comparative long-term clinical trial would be necessary to confirm our data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany. billewin@gmx.de
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winterhalter
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Severing
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stammen
authors.forename: Anna Karina
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Erhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Godehardt
authors.forename: Antonia Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Joussen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053626:Atovaquone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D053626:Atovaquone