TOXOPLASMOSIS NEURORETINITIS

Background. Neuroretinitis is a distinct clinical entity consisting of moderate to severe visual loss, optic nerve head edema, macular exuda te in a stellate pattern, and variable vitreous inflammation. Although the etiology is usually postviral or idiopathic, an acute infectious cause occasionally is demonstrated. Methods: Five juvenile or young ad ult patients with neuroretinitis are presented with serologic evidence of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Four of the five patients were treate d with systemic antibiotics and corticosteroids; one patient was not t reated. Results: With a mean follow-up period of 50 months, visual acu ity returned to 20/25 or better in four patients; with one patient reg aining visual acuity of 20/60. Two patients had one or more recurrent episodes of neuroretinitis, distinguishing to toxoplasmosis from idiop athic neuroretinitis, which is usually a monophasic illness. Conclusio n: Toxoplasmosis infection is a rare, but potentially treatable, form of neuroretinitis and should be included in the differential diagnosis of ''Leber's idiopathic stellate retinopathy.''