Diagnostic Evaluation of Ocular Toxocariasis Using High-Penetration Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

Purpose: To study a case with intraretinal Toxocara larvae in a granuloma using high-penetration optical coherence tomography (HP-OCT). Methods: A 50-year-old man, who was referred to our clinic with ocular toxocariasis, initially presented with granuloma formation in the retina. We followed the treatment-associated changes in the toxocariasis lesion by a series of examinations using HP-OCT before and after a systemic corticosteroid and anthelmintic therapy. Results: The posterior pole granuloma initially appeared as a yellowish-white intraretinal lesion with an exudative focus and dye leakage seen on angiography. After therapy, the lesion was no longer exudative. During treatment-free periods, an intraretinal lesion was seen protruding from the retinal surface into the vitreous cavity. HP-OCT confirmed the elevated lesion protruding from the retinal surface into the vitreous cavity. With treatment, the protruding focus flattened during the following 8 months, but the lesion recurred after the treatment stopped. Conclusions: The findings and clinical course strongly suggested ocular toxocariasis. The protruding retinal lesion may have been an ocular manifestation of toxocariasis. HP-OCT was useful in the follow-up and diagnosis.

Human toxocariasis seroprevalence among patients with uveitis in Alborz Province, Iran

“…These findings confirmed the earlier results indicating that posterior uveitis is the most common form of clinical presentation, consisting of 44.0% of ocular toxocariasis cases [28]. A case of ocular toxocariasis with posterior pole granuloma has also been reported [23].…”

“…Different serological studies have been undertaken regarding the seroprevalence of toxocariasis in patients with ocular inflammatory disorder in different geographical regions of the world [19,20]. The rate of seroprevalence of toxocariasis in the presented findings is very similar to the rate of infection in other parts of the word [21][22][23][24]. In most laboratories, the current methods of detecting T. canis infection in humans are typically based on TcES-ELISA [12].…”

Toxocariasis: a silent threat with a progressive public health impact

“…High-penetration optical coherence tomography (HP-OCT) is useful for examining intraretinal lesions, noninvasively. HP-OCT provides clear and continuous scanning from the retina to the choroid [ 82 ], compared with conventional OCT.…”

<b><i>Toxocara</i></b> Optic Disc Granuloma: Deep Range Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography Findings

“…The response to systemic therapy was assessed using deep range imaging optical coherence tomography (DRI-OCT). To our knowledge there are few reports of DRI-OCT findings in OT and only two presenting this parasitic disease as a granuloma overlying the optic disc [5, 6, 7, 8, 9].…”