Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
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Clinical Features of Ocular Toxoplasmosis in Korean Patients

  • Park, Young-Hoon (Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Han, Jae-Hyung (Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Nam, Ho-Woo (Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea)
  • Received : 2011.04.11
  • Accepted : 2011.06.02
  • Published : 2011.06.30
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Abstract

We report here the records of 10 consecutive Korean patients (10 eyes) with ocular toxoplasmosis which showed the typical clinical manifestations with seropositivity for Toxoplasma gondii specific IgG antibodies by micro-ELISA between 2006 and 2010. Nine patients were males and 1 was female; their age was $50.5{\pm}13.8$ years. The most common accompanying signs were vitritis (100%), anterior uveitis (70%), and scattered white deposit (80%). Pre-existing retinochoroidal scar was found in 1 (10%) patient. All patients received antiparasitic chemotherapy and systemic corticosteroid treatment, which resolved the presenting attack and recovered the visual acuity better than initial one in 9 patients and worse in 1. Optic atrophy, cataract, and retinal neovascularization were observed during the follow-up period and recurrence was detected in 3 eyes (30%) 6 to 20 months after the initial attack. In Korea, although rarely detected and reported, ocular toxoplasmosis needs more attention in clinical field of retinal diseases.

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References

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