TY - JOUR
T1 - A follow-up study of Toxoplasma gondii infection in southern Brazil
AU - Silveira, Claudio
AU - Belfort, Rubens
AU - Muccioli, Cristina
AU - Abreu, Mariza T.
AU - Martins, Maria C.
AU - Victora, Cesar
AU - Nussenblatt, Robert B.
AU - Holland, Gary N.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - PURPOSE: To understand better the natural history of ocular toxoplasmosis by reexamining a well-characterized population in Southern Brazil. METHODS: Ophthalmological examination and serologic tests for Toxoplasma gondii infection were performed in 1997 on 383 individuals who had undergone the same evaluation in 1990.RESULTS: Of 109 seronegative subjects in 1990, 21 (19.3%) became seropositive by 1997, and 2 (1.5% of previously seronegative patients; 9.5% of those known to have seroconverted) developed ocular toxoplasmosis. Seroconversion occurred more frequently in individuals under 17 years of age (16 of 46 patients, 34.8%) than in those greater than 17 years of age (5 of 63 patients, 7.9%; p = 0.002). Of 131 seropositive individuals who did not have ocular lesions in 1990, 11 (8.3%) had typical toxoplasmic lesions in 1997. Of the 13 individuals with non-specific hyperpigmented small retinal lesions in 1990, 3 (23%) presented with typical lesions in 1997. CONCLUSIONS: Acquired T. gondii infection can result in late development of ocular lesions. Small, non-specific hyperpigmented retinal lesions may represent sites of T. gondii infection in seropositive individuals.
AB - PURPOSE: To understand better the natural history of ocular toxoplasmosis by reexamining a well-characterized population in Southern Brazil. METHODS: Ophthalmological examination and serologic tests for Toxoplasma gondii infection were performed in 1997 on 383 individuals who had undergone the same evaluation in 1990.RESULTS: Of 109 seronegative subjects in 1990, 21 (19.3%) became seropositive by 1997, and 2 (1.5% of previously seronegative patients; 9.5% of those known to have seroconverted) developed ocular toxoplasmosis. Seroconversion occurred more frequently in individuals under 17 years of age (16 of 46 patients, 34.8%) than in those greater than 17 years of age (5 of 63 patients, 7.9%; p = 0.002). Of 131 seropositive individuals who did not have ocular lesions in 1990, 11 (8.3%) had typical toxoplasmic lesions in 1997. Of the 13 individuals with non-specific hyperpigmented small retinal lesions in 1990, 3 (23%) presented with typical lesions in 1997. CONCLUSIONS: Acquired T. gondii infection can result in late development of ocular lesions. Small, non-specific hyperpigmented retinal lesions may represent sites of T. gondii infection in seropositive individuals.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035123156&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035123156&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0002-9394(00)00830-8
DO - 10.1016/S0002-9394(00)00830-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 11239868
AN - SCOPUS:0035123156
SN - 0002-9394
VL - 131
SP - 351
EP - 354
JO - American Journal of Ophthalmology
JF - American Journal of Ophthalmology
IS - 3
ER -