congenital toxoplasmosis


con·gen·i·tal tox·o·plas·mo·sis

toxoplasmosis apparently resulting from parasites in an infected mother being transmitted in utero to the fetus, observed as three syndromes: acute: most of the organs contain foci of necrosis in association with fever, jaundice, hydrocephaly, encephalomyelitis, pneumonitis, cutaneous rash, ophthalmic lesions, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly; subacute: most of the lesions are partly healed or calcified, but those in the brain and eye seem to remain active, inasmuch as chorioretinitis is observed in more than 80% of diseased infants; and chronic: usually not recognized during the newborn period, but chorioretinitis and cerebral lesions may be detected weeks to years later.

congenital toxoplasmosis

A transplacental infection with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii affecting ±1⁄3 of fetuses of ♀ with acute acquired toxoplasmosis, most severe if the infection occurs in 1st trimester; children are often normal at birth, followed by blindness, mental retardation; it may affect the brain, lung, heart, eyes, liver Clinical Hydrocephalus, microcephaly, cerebral calcifications, atrophy, chorioretinitis, uveitis, vitritis, convulsions, hyperbilirubinemia, hepatomegaly Diagnosis PCR of amniotic fluid to detect 35-fold repeat of the B1 gene of T gondii Sensitivity 97%–vs 90% with conventional parasitology Lab IgM immunoassay Management Pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, leukovorin. See TORCH.

con·gen·i·tal tox·o·plas·mo·sis

(kŏn-jen'i-tăl tok'sō-plaz-mō'sis) A disease caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is transmitted in utero to the fetus, observed as three syndromes: 1) acute: most of the organs contain foci of necrosis in association with fever, jaundice, hydrocephaly, encephalomyelitis, pneumonitis, rash, ophthalmic lesions, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly; 2) subacute: most of these lesions are partly healed or calcified, but those in the brain and eye seem to remain active, inasmuch as chorioretinitis is observed in more than 80% of diseased infants; and 3) chronic: usually not recognized during the newborn period, but chorioretinitis and cerebral lesions may be detected weeks to years later.