Third-generation optical coherence tomography findings in punctate retinal toxoplasmosis.

Abstract

To investigate optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in patients with punctate retinal toxoplasmosis (PRT). Observational case series. Tertiary ophthalmic referral center. Four patients with PRT consecutively evaluated between July 2004 and June 2005. Clinical examination and OCT. Morphologic features at baseline and changes within a 24-week follow-up interval. Retinal layers were abnormally hyperreflective at the active lesion site and associated with some degree of retinal pigment epithelium-choriocapillaris/choroidal optical shadowing in all patients. The posterior hyaloid was thickened and focally detached (over the lesion). Additional findings include tractional maculopathy (n = 2) and diffuse macular edema (n = 1). During follow-up, focal choriocapillaris/choroidal relative hyperreflectivity was observed at the former lesion site, and posterior vitreous detachment progressed in all patients. Our findings suggest that OCT may enable identification of subtle morphologic features previously underappreciated in patients with PRT, which may provide new insights about the disease pathophysiologic mechanisms.