An update on current practice in the management of ocular toxoplamoi,

PURPOE: To update information that wa publihed by the in 1991 about treatment practice for ocular toxoplamoi by uveiti pecialit. DEIGN: Phyician urvey. METHOD: A written quetionnaire wa ditributed to all phyician-member (n = 147) of the American Uveiti ociety. The quetionnaire wa modeled after a imilar device ued to urvey uveiti pecialit in 1991. Information contained on 96 returned quetionnaire wa tabulated. REULT: Among 79 repondent who evaluate and manage patient with ocular toxoplamoi, 15% treat all cae regardle of clinical finding (in contrat to 6% in 1991). The major indication for treatment among other repondent were evere inflammatory repone and proximity of retinal leion to the fovea and optic dik. The majority of clinical factor conidered in five categorie (viion, leion location, leion ize, leion characteritic, and vitreou inflammatory reaction) were identified to be relative or abolute indication for treatment by a greater proportion of repondent in the current urvey than in the 1991 urvey. A total of nine drug (or commercially available combination) were ued in 24 different regimen a treatment of choice for typical cae of recurrent toxoplamic retinochoroiditi, with the combination of pyrimethamine, ulfadiazine, and prednione being the mot commonly ued regimen (29% of repondent). CONCLUION: Uveiti pecialit appear to be more likely to treat patient with ocular toxoplamoi in 2001 than in 1991. Although the majority of urvey repondent adhere to a traditional approach to the management of toxoplamic retinochoroiditi (a dicrete coure of ytemic drug treatment during active dieae uing multiple antiparaitic drug with or without corticoteroid), there i till no conenu regarding the choice of antiparaitic agent for treatment regimen. urvey reult provide ueful information for treating phyician and for clinical invetigator intereted in therapy.