Atypical Ocular Toxoplasmosis During Adalimumab Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Active toxoplasma chorioretinitis in immunocompromised patients: a case series

Toxoplasma chorioretinitis (TC) can exhibit atypical features in immunocompromised patients including bilaterality, extensive spread, multifocal presentation, large areas of retinal necrosis without adjacent retinal scarring, and diffuse necrotizing retinitis resembling the viral retinitis that may cause confusion in the differential diagnosis. The aim of this study was to present the clinical features of four eyes of three immunocompromised patients with active toxoplasma chorioretinitis. Two of the patients were female and one, male. Two patients had hematological malignancies and the remaining patient was under adalimumab treatment for ankylosing spondylitis. Visual complaints began 10 days to four months prior to TC diagnosis. All four eyes had mild-to-moderate anterior chamber cells together with severe vitritis on slit-lamp examination while there were solitary chorioretinitis lesions on fundoscopy. Despite all patients were negative for anti-toxoplasma immunoglobulin M, all were positive for immunoglobulin G. All three patients were successfully treated with a combined treatment of systemic and intravitreal anti-toxoplasmic drugs. Clinicians should be cautious for the possible toxoplasma chorioretinitis besides the other infectious entities when a new uveitis episode is detected in an immunosuppressed patient in order to avoid misdiagnosis and thereby wrong treatment.

Ocular toxoplasmosis following anti-tumour necrosis factor-α therapy combined with oral methotrexate therapy: A case report and review of literature

Purpose: To report a case of ocular toxoplasmosis following long-term treatment with adalimumab and review the literature on ocular toxoplasmosis following anti-Tumour necrosis factor-α therapy. Method: A retrospective chart review of A 21-year-old male who developed retinochoroiditis in his left eye following adalimumab therapy combined with oral methotrexate. Result: A known patient of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) on adalimumab and oral methotrexate for the last four years presented to us with a blurring of vision for the last 15 days. Fundus examination of the left eye revealed severe vitritis and two patches of retinochoroiditis in the inferior part of the fundus. Subsequent investigations confirmed it to be a case of toxoplasma retinochoroiditis, and he responded to anti-toxoplasma treatment. A review of literature on a similar topic revealed five such cases, and the index case was the first such report in patients with JIA. Conclusion: The index case highlights the importance of early recognition and management of opportunistic infections in patients receiving biologicals.

Ocular toxoplasmosis, an overview focusing on clinical aspects

Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread protozoan parasite infecting approximately one third of the world population. After proliferation of tachyzoites during the acute stage, the parasite forms tissue cysts in various anatomical sites and establishes chronic infection. Nowadays the nature of the interplay between the protozoan and its human host remains elusive. This is clearly evident in ocular toxoplasmosis, in which the parasite establishes an ambivalent relationship with the eye, manipulating the immune response and inducing variable initial lesions and further relapses. This review will focus on epidemiology and environmental, parasite and host related risk factors, clinical manifestations and laboratory findings, treatment and prophylaxis approaches in ocular toxoplasmosis. An image collection of patients referred to the Unit of Ophthalmology of Pisa's Hospital will be presented, too.

Cerebral Toxoplasmosis in a Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient on Immunosuppressive Therapy

Cerebral toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening infection most commonly found in immunocompromised hosts such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or transplant patients. However, it is not known to affect patients with chronic inflammatory disorders on immunosuppressive therapy. We describe the case of a 70-year-old female with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on chronic therapy with methotrexate and infliximab, who presented to the hospital after two weeks of right-sided weakness. Imaging revealed bilateral ring-enhancing lesions in the basal ganglia (left greater than right). A diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis was made on brain biopsy. Apart from the immunosuppressive therapy and owning a cat, she had no other risk factors for developing the infection. The patient’s immunosuppressive medications were discontinued, and she was started on high-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX). Upon literature review using PubMed, we found seven other published reports on similar cases of toxoplasmosis in RA patients on immunosuppressive therapy; however, there was a lack of recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis in this patient population. With the growing use of immunosuppressive therapies in chronic inflammatory disorders, further data is needed regarding the management of toxoplasmosis in these patients. This case report is an investigation of the relationship between immunosuppressive medications in RA patients and cerebral toxoplasmosis and an exploration of the available recommendations for its management.