Patterns of ocular toxoplasmosis presenting at a tertiary eye care center in Korean patients

The objective of this study was to describe demographic and clinical features of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) in Korean patients compared to those in other countries. This retrospective study comprised 46 patients diagnosed with OT. All participants were recruited at the uveitis clinic in Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. The mean age of patients was 54 years. Of 46 patients, 31 (67.4%) were females. Of all patients, 24 (52.2%) had definite eating history of wild boar meat or deer blood while 5 (10.9%) had history of close contact with cats. The most common forms of OT were vitritis (91.3%) combined with retinochoroiditis (65.2%). Active retinochoroidal lesion was located at the peripheral retina in 18 (39.1%) patients, central retina in 8 (17.4%) patients, and peripapillary retina in 4 (8.7%) patients. Seven (15.2%) cases were clinically diagnosed with typical OT without serologic evidence. Thirty-nine (84.8%) had serum IgG for toxoplasmosis. However, only 8 (17.4%) had serum IgM. In 65.2% of patients, there was no complication after treatment. The most common ocular complication was macular scar (8.7%). The present study provides demographic and clinical characteristics of OT in Korea, a low endemic area of Toxoplasma gondii. Acquired infection is the major cause of OT in Korea. Even though Korea is a low endemic area of Toxoplasma gondii, OT is a preventable and common cause of acquired infectious uveitis. Abbreviations: BCVA = best corrected visual acuity, ELISA = enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, IRB = Institutional Review Board, logMAR = logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, OT = ocular toxoplasmosis, SUN = Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature.