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Assessment of ocular toxoplasmosis patients reported at a tertiary center in the northeast of Iran

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A Correction to this article was published on 01 June 2018

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Abstract

Purpose

Ocular toxoplasmosis, which is caused by the single-cell parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is currently the most significant cause of posterior uveitis in the world. No previous studies have described the prevalence and clinical features of ocular toxoplasmosis in the northeast of Iran. The purpose of the current study was to address this gap.

Methods

In this retrospective study, the medical records of 488 uveitis patients who presented to the Khatam-al-Anbia Eye Hospital of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, a tertiary ophthalmology center in the northeast of Iran, between January 2013 and December 2015 were evaluated. The clinical features and risk factors of 99 (20%) consecutive patients with ocular toxoplasmosis were extracted.

Results

Ninety-nine including 53 (53.5%) female and 46 (46.5%) male patients with ocular toxoplasmosis were included in the analysis. Reduced vision (77%) and floaters (15.2%) were the most common presenting symptoms. The age category that was most affected by ocular toxoplasmosis was 20–40 years (range: 11–65 years) with a mean age of 27.2. All patients had retinochoroiditis, but just two had anterior uveitis. All of the extracted patients, with the exception of three patients, had unilateral involvement. None of the patients had any other medical disorders with the exception of one woman, who had diabetes. Only four recurring ocular toxoplasmosis patients were referred to the education hospital during the study. Serology data were available for just 32 patients, of which 31 (96.8%) were IgG positive, and 1 (3.2%) was IgM positive.

Conclusion

Toxoplasma gondii was responsible for 20% of the patients of uveitis that presented to the largest ophthalmology center in the northeast of Iran. There is a high incidence of patients of ocular toxoplasmosis in the northeast of Iran, and it is a significant cause of uveitis and visual impairment in this area.

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Change history

  • 01 June 2018

    Unfortunately, in the original publication of the article, given name and family name of the first and fourth author names were mentioned incorrectly. The exact given name and family name of those author names have been provided in the erratum.

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Funding

Financial support for this study was provided by Mashhad University of Medical sciences financially supported this study (Project grants: 940902). The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini

  2. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Elham Moghaddas, Karim Sharifi & Seyed Aliakbar Shamsian

  3. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Malihe Dadgar Moghaddam

Authors
  1. Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini
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  2. Elham Moghaddas
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  3. Karim Sharifi
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  4. Malihe Dadgar Moghaddam
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  5. Seyed Aliakbar Shamsian
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Contributions

Aliakbar Shamsian and Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini were involved in study concept and design and critical revision of the manuscript. Karim Sharifi helped in analysis and interpretation of data. Elham Moghaddas contributed to compilation of the manuscript. Malihe Dadgar helped in statistical analysis.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seyed Aliakbar Shamsian.

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Conflict of interest

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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For this type of study formal consent is not required.

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised. Unfortunately, in the original publication of the article, given name and family name of the first and fourth author names were mentioned incorrectly. The exact given name and family name of those author names have been provided in the erratum.

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Hosseini, S.M., Moghaddas, E., Sharifi, K. et al. Assessment of ocular toxoplasmosis patients reported at a tertiary center in the northeast of Iran. Int Ophthalmol 38, 2527–2533 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-017-0764-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-017-0764-3

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