Ocular manifestations of congenital toxoplasmosis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ocular manifestations of congenital toxoplasmosis at the first ophthalmological examination of children up to the age of 12 months.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of 44 children with a confirmed diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. In all patients, complete ophthalmological examinations were performed under sedation. The patients underwent biomicroscopy of the anterior segment, skiascopy under cyclopegia, and indirect binocular ophthalmoscopy with maximum mydriasis.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 4.2 months. Of the 44 children evaluated, 31 (70.4%) presented ocular involvement and 29 (65.9%) of them had retinochoroiditis lesions. The retinochoroiditis lesions were bilateral in 22 (75.8%) patients and unilateral in 7 (24.2%). The retinochoroiditis lesions were active in 8 (15.7%) eyes and had healed in 43 (84.3%). Most of the lesions were concentrated in the papillomacular area (76.3%). Other associated ocular alterations were present in 22 children, the most prevalent being cataract, microphthalmia, and strabismus.

CONCLUSION

Ocular involvement in congenital toxoplasmosis might be much more frequent and occurs earlier than previously described.