Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026

06:33
3-D Imaging and Analysis of Neurons Infected In Vivo with Toxoplasma gondii
Published on: December 9, 2014
Neuroretinitis Secondary to Toxoplasma Infection in an Adult
Shamila Ladak1, M A Rehman Siddiqui2
1Medical College, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, aku.edu.
Case Reports in Ophthalmological Medicine
|July 30, 2026
Summary
A healthy adult developed neuroretinitis due to active Toxoplasma infection. Prompt treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole led to vision recovery, highlighting toxoplasmosis as a key differential diagnosis for neuroretinitis.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
Background:
- Neuroretinitis is an ocular inflammatory condition affecting the optic nerve and retina.
- Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection, can manifest in various ways, including ocular involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of neuroretinitis in a healthy adult with active primary Toxoplasma infection.
- To emphasize the importance of considering toxoplasmosis in the differential diagnosis of neuroretinitis.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 27-year-old woman with sudden vision loss.
- Ophthalmic examination including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).
- Laboratory workup for infectious agents, including Toxoplasma gondii antibody testing.
Main Results:
- The patient presented with blurred vision, central scotoma, optic disc edema, and macular star formation.
- OCT revealed optic disc elevation and retinal nerve fiber layer thickening.
- Positive IgM and IgG antibodies for Toxoplasma gondii confirmed active infection. Treatment resulted in significant resolution of ocular findings.
Conclusions:
- Toxoplasmosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neuroretinitis, even in immunocompetent individuals.
- Early diagnosis and treatment of ocular toxoplasmosis are crucial for preventing permanent vision loss.
Related Concept Videos
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
Encephalitis l: Introduction
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...
American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Arboviral Encephalitis
Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...
