What does TORCH stand for?

What does TORCH stand for?

• A. Toxoplasmosis; Other; Rubella; Cytomegalovirus; Herpes simplex virus
• B. Tetanus; Other; Rubella; CMV; Herpes
• C. Toxoplasmosis; Varicella; Rubella; CMV
• D. Toxoplasmosis; Parvovirus; Rubella; CMV

Answer: (A)

TORCH is the mnemonic for a set of maternal infections that can cross the placenta and cause congenital problems in the fetus. The best choice lists Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus, which are the classic components of this screening concept. The “Other” category serves as a catch‑all for additional infections (such as syphilis, varicella-zoster, and parvovirus B19) that can also affect the fetus. The other options replace or add infections outside the standard TORCH set (for example, tetanus or specific viruses like varicella or parvovirus outside the “Other” label), which is why they aren’t the correct representation of the acronym.

TORCH is the mnemonic for a set of maternal infections that can cross the placenta and cause congenital problems in the fetus. The best choice lists Toxoplasmosis, Other, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus, which are the classic components of this screening concept. The “Other” category serves as a catch‑all for additional infections (such as syphilis, varicella-zoster, and parvovirus B19) that can also affect the fetus. The other options replace or add infections outside the standard TORCH set (for example, tetanus or specific viruses like varicella or parvovirus outside the “Other” label), which is why they aren’t the correct representation of the acronym.