Clinical Outcomes of Pediatric Patients with Congenital Toxoplasmosis in a Fourthlevel Center Introduction. Congenital
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Introduction: Congenital toxoplasmosis is a highly prevalent parasitic disease worldwide, with a high burden of disease and neurodevelopmental involvement in pediatric patients.
Objective: To describe the clinical sequelae and neurodevelopmental state of pediatric patients with congenital toxoplasmosis at the Hospital Militar Central during 2013 to 2020.
Materials And Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with an analytical component, including pediatric patients diagnosed with congenital toxoplasmosis. Patients consulted the Hospital Militar Central from January 2013 to December 2020. The Ages and Stages Questionnaires 3 neurodevelopmental scale was applied to children under six years old.
Results: Forty-five patients with confirmed congenital toxoplasmosis were included, with a mean age of 5.9 years; 60% were male; 11.2 % were symptomatic at birth, and 33% presented chorioretinitis. During the follow-up, 73% presented ophthalmologic sequelae, 64% cerebral calcifications, 4.4% hydrocephalus, 11.2% cerebral palsy, and 13.4% focal epilepsy. In children under six years old, 58% presented neurodevelopmental compromise, and in those over six years old, 62% had cognitive deficits. In this cohort, 68% of the patients received posnatal treatment, with a statistically significant association between not receiving treatment and ophthalmological sequelae (OR = 5.2; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Congenital toxoplasmosis is associated with important long-term sequelae similar to those described in several Latin American series. These findings highlight the importance of early diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and timely interdisciplinary follow-up of patients in our country to improve their prognosis.
Giovannuzzi S, De Luca V, Capasso C, Supuran C Int J Mol Sci. 2025; 26(1.
PMID: 39795973 PMC: 11719606. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26010116.