RETINAL TEAR IN TOXOPLASMIC RETINOCHOROID ITIS

Patient A 29-year-old white female presented with an episode of recurr ent focal toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis in her right eye. Apart from a white active lesion between the temporal vascular arcades, marked vit reous opacification was present. Treatment with oral pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine led to resolution of retinochoroiditis activity includin g vitreous clearing within 10 weeks. Another 3 weeks later, a fresh pe ripheral retinal tear was noted on routine fundus examination of the r ight eye. While the left eye showed no signs of vitreoretinal patholog y, biomicroscopy revealed a posterior vitreous detachment and marked v itreous degeneration in the right eye of this emmetropic patient. Prop hylactic laser treatment was performed. No further abnormalities were observed during a 5 months follow-up period. Conclusion Retinal tears (and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment) are rare complications of toxo plasmic retinochoroiditis. However, a tear may occur due to vitreoreti nal traction following postinflammatory structural alteration of the v itreous. Thus, in toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis the diagnostic attenti on should not be limited to the evaluation of optical transparency of the vitreous. Vitreous structure should be assessed as well and if str uctural changes are noted, repeated ophthalmoscopy is mandatory in ord er to detect retinal tears and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment timel y.