Clinical, Socio-economic and Environmental Factors Related with Recurrences in Ocular Toxoplasmosis in Quindío, Colombia

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To identify the sociodemographic, clinical, and environmental factors associated with recurrences in ocular toxoplasmosis (OT).

Methods

Retrospective analysis of clinical records of patients who consulted in the Health Centre at Universidad del Quindío between 2004 and 2017. Patients with retinochoroiditis due to Toxoplasma gondii infection and follow up >12 months were included. Comparisons were made with a recurrence index adjusted for months of follow up. For the statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were performed in Epi Info 7.2 and SPSS 14.0. A statistical significance is shown if p ≤ 0.05.

Results

A total of 58 patients were included, with median age of 28 years (range 1–61) and 55.1% were women. The median of recurrences was 1.4 (range 0.6–16.6). High recurrence index was present in 43.1% of the patients. A higher size of lesions was observed in low socioeconomic groups (p = .016) and patients with congenital infection had more bilateral compromise (p = .002). Intake of boiled water was related to a lower recurrence index (p = .04).

Conclusions

Low socioeconomic level was associated with bigger lesions and congenital infection was related with higher frequency of bilateral OT. Finally, intake of boiled water is related to a lower recurrence index of OT.

KEYWORDS:

• Ocular toxoplasmosis
• Retinochoroiditis
• Toxoplasma gondii
• risk factors
• boiled water

Acknowledgments

The authors express gratitude to Health Centre at Universidad del Quindío, which provided data for this study.

Conflicts of interest

None reported by the authors.

Statement of submission

This study has not been published anywhere previously and that it is not simultaneously being considered for any other publication.

Additional information

Funding

Resources provided by the authors.