Treating retinochoroiditis caused by toxomoplasis

Reviewed by João Paulo Fernandes Felix, MD

São Paul-The use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 2 years in patients with Toxoplasma gondii retinochoroiditis may prevent recurrences, said João Paulo Fernandes Felix, MD, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo.

Dr. Felix has been part of a single-center, prospective, double-masked clinical trial to compare the effects of both 1 year and 2-year treatment with trimethroprim-sulfamethoxazole to reduce the recurrence of toxoplasmosis.

This area of research is important because ocular toxomoplasis is the main cause of infectious uveitis in the world, Dr. Felix said.

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“It’s associated with recurrent episodes of active retinal disease,” he said.

Investigators in the study conducted their 2-year follow-up with 121 patients. For inclusion in the study, patients had to have recurrent Toxoplasma gondii retinochoroiditis and a preexisting retinochoroidal scar.

Exclusion criteria included an age under 18, those who were immunocompromised or on immunosuppressive treatments, and concomitant retinochoroiditis from other causes.

Patients received the medication twice a day for 45 days and were compared against a placebo group.

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