TORCH
acronym/tɔːtʃ/
Infectious Diseases
Definition
1.The classic congenital (intrauterine) infections.
Expansion
- TToxoplasmosis — intracranial calcification, chorioretinitis
- OOther — syphilis, VZV, parvovirus B19, HIV, Zika
- RRubella — cataracts, deafness, cardiac defects
- CCytomegalovirus — the commonest; deafness, microcephaly
- HHerpes simplex — acquired peripartum; can be devastating
Notes
The TORCH infections cross the placenta (or are acquired at birth) and share a vocabulary of harm: growth restriction, rash, hepatosplenomegaly, sensorineural deafness and CNS involvement.
The "Other" bucket keeps growing — syphilis deserves its own letter in many versions, and Zika is the modern addition.
Origin
A torch held to the womb — the screen for infections passed from mother to child.