[The ocular form of larval toxocariasis in the Czech Republic]

Abstract

The damage of the eye is one of the clinical syndromes of the Toxocara infection, caused by the migration activity of the Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati larvae. Ocular larva migrans (OLM) lesions mostly occur unilaterally and frequently are diagnosed as retinoblastoma. The typical symptoms of OLM are presented in our publication. The first signs of the ocular infection most often include diminished vision, leukocoria, red eye and strabismus. Inflammatory intraocular reaction, caused as a response to the antigens, released from dead or dying larvae is often diagnosed. The living larvae are observed very rarely. The reason and a way of the ocular invasion are still not sufficiently cleared. The supposition that the ocular syndrome is caused by migration of single larvae, when the immunological response is light, was not reliably verified. Sometimes if the infection size was heavy, the eye can be invaded with systemic complications as well. The most common laboratory findings include an elevation of the immunoglobulins in the serum of the patient and the presence of Toxocara specific antibodies response in the vitreous and/or aqueous humor. An analysis of the humor in cases of presumptive OLM was made only in 8 patients because not all oculists are ready to take this material, mainly in children. Highly sensitive assay--ELISA reaction with specific excretory-secretory antigen (TES) was used. For discrimination between chronic and recent infection the method of measuring IgG avidity was applied.