Summary
Congenital toxoplasmosisis an embryo-fetopathy due to contamination by toxoplasmas gondii during pregnancy and it is more severe when contamination occurs early in pregnancy. It can cause severe cerebral (intracranial calcification, hydrocephaly), ocular (chorioretinitis, optic atrophy) and visceral (hepatic involvement, jaundice) complications. Fetal infection is nearly always secondary to a maternal primary infection in pregnancy, of which prevalence is 7-10/1,000 pregnancies. The rate of global transmission is 30%. Prenatal diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis is now simplified: it is based on the study of amniotic fluid by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and, if necessary, by innoculation of mice. It is necessary to wait at least 4 weeks between maternal infection and prenatal diagnosis in order to reduce the risk of a false negative result. Antenatal treatment varies depending on the result of the PCR; in all cases monitoring by ultrasound is required. In infected children, until the age of 15-20 the main risk is for the development of chorioretinitis (>80% in the absence of treatment). *Author : Dr E. Robert-Gnansia (June 2004)*.
