Toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis in an Italian referral center

PURPOSE. To evaluate the clinical features of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT).METHODS. Retrospective review of 3080 new patients with uveitis was performed to identify patients with active OT. The main outcome measures were ocular features and ocular complications.RESULTS. Active OT was diagnosed in 88 patients (2.85% of all uveitis), 39 male (44.3%) and 49 female (55.7%), at an average age of 20.4+/-14.6 years, lower than in other types of uveitis (p<0.0001). Acquired OT diagnosis was possible in 4 cases (4.5%), while in the others a differentiation between acquired or congenital OT was impossible. Unilateral OT occurred in 76 patients (86.36%), with lesions located inside the vascular arcade in 64 of them (84.2%). Among bilateral cases (12 patients, 13.63%), at least one lesion was central in 9 (75%). Isolated peripheral lesions were observed in 12 out of 88 patients (13.6%). During an average follow-up of 70+/-73.5 months, OT recurrences appeared in 70 patients (79.54%). Mean interval between diagnosis and first relapse was 43.57+/-48.46 months, while it shortened between subsequent relapses (24.44+/-26.5 months; p=0.001).CONCLUSIONS. Ocular toxoplasmosis is a highly recurrent disease, mainly unilateral, with an average age at onset lower than those observed in other types of uveitis. Time between relapses shortens significantly over time. (Eur J Ophthalmol 2009; 19: 824-30)