Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
Full-Circle Cauterization of Limbal Vascular Plexus for Surgically Induced Glaucoma in Rodents
Published on: February 15, 2022
Ophthalmic outcomes of congenital toxoplasmosis followed until adolescence
Martine Wallon1, Justus G Garweg, Michal Abrahamowicz
1Hospices Civils de Lyon, Institut de Parasitologie et de Mycologie Médicale, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon, France;
Insights
Long-term monitoring of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) in children is crucial. Despite treatment, new ocular lesions can develop years later, necessitating ongoing postnatal surveillance for congenital toxoplasmosis.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) can cause severe ocular damage, appearing at birth or later.
- Assessed long-term ocular prognosis in treated children with CT, monitored up to 22 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term ocular outcomes in a cohort of children with congenital toxoplasmosis.
- To identify risk factors associated with retinochoroiditis in treated CT patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 477 children with confirmed CT, identified via antenatal screening (1987-2008).
- Ocular examinations recorded on standardized forms; risk factors analyzed using multivariable Cox and flexible models.
Main Results:
- 142 patients (29.8%) developed ocular lesions, mostly unilateral and vision-sparing.
- Lesions first appeared at a median age of 3.1 years; recurrences or new lesions occurred in 33.8% up to 12 years later.
- Early maternal infection, prematurity, and nonocular CT were linked to higher retinochoroiditis risk.
Conclusions:
- Treated children rarely experience severe CT consequences.
- Regular postnatal monitoring is essential due to the lifelong risk of new ocular manifestations in congenital toxoplasmosis.
Background:
Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) can elicit severe damage to several organs, especially the eye, and may be manifested at birth or later. We assessed the long-term ocular prognosis in a cohort of congenitally infected children treated according to a standardized protocol and monitored for up to 22 years.
Methods:
This prospective study included confirmed cases of CT, which were identified by obligatory antenatal screening at the Lyon (France) reference center between 1987 and 2008. Data obtained through ocular examinations were recorded on a standardized form and confirmed by an independent external committee. Risk factors for retinochoroiditis were identified by using a multivariable Cox model and a flexible model that accounted for changes in the factor effects during follow-up.
Results:
A total of 477 of 485 infected live-born children were followed for a median of 10.5 years (75th percentile: 15.0 years). During the follow-up, 142 patients (29.8%) manifested at least 1 ocular lesion. Lesions were unilateral in 98 individuals (69.0%) and caused no vision loss in 80.6%. Lesions were first manifested at a median age of 3.1 (0.0-20.7) years. In 48 (33.8%) of the children, recurrences or new ocular lesions occurred up to 12 years after the appearance of the first lesion. Early maternal infection and confirmation of CT in children, prematurity, and nonocular CT lesions at baseline were associated with a higher risk of retinochoroiditis.
Conclusions:
Although the consequences of CT are rarely severe in treated children, regular postnatal monitoring is nevertheless justified because of the lifelong persisting risk of new ocular manifestations.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
01:27Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
01:25Glaucoma: Overview