Toxoplasmosis congénita: revisión

Title: Congenital toxoplasmosis: a review The congenital form of Toxoplasma gondii infection is caused by primary maternal infection, with consequences in different fetal systems, especially the ocular system (chorioretinitis) and central nervous system (hydrocephalus, seizures), as well as systemic involvement (hepatosplenomegaly), although between 80% and 90% of the resulting disorders are subclinical. The diagnosis involves maternal serology, as the risk of fetal infection depends on the trimester in which seroconversion occurs. Given the lack of studies on the efficacy of prenatal treatment, spiramycin should be administered to pregnant women with primary infection until the results of complementary studies are known. Should the newborn be infected, treatment with pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine and folic acid should be begun in the attempt to reduce the risk of long-term sequelae. Prenatal screening is a controversial issue since both the health care costs and rate of false positives are high. In some countries, health education programs have resulted in a decrease in the rate of infection of 50%.