Chloroquine Retinopathy
in Chiang Mai : 1 year Study
Prasert Leeungurasatien M.D.
Paganart Eiumtrakul M.D.1
ABSTRACT : In 1999,
we studied 8 patients with systemic diseases requiring chloroquine treatments
and had blurred vision. 6 of them were female and 2 were male. They were
as followed. 4 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, 1 case of scleroderma, 3 cases
of discoid lupus erythrematosus. They might or might not have weakness,
vertigo, or weight loss symptoms before presenting with blurred vision.
There was a slight change at the macula hardly to observe at the onset of
the toxic symptoms. The visual acuity was usually mormal or slightly decreased.
The ERG, EOG, and the color vision test were usually normal. Therefore most
of the patients got to continue their medications, resulting in more severe
damages to the macula. It is necessary to make decision of sudden drug discontinuation
as the patient frist complaint of blurred vision. It is too late waiting
for the Bull’s eye maculopathy which is the late stage of the drug toxicity
with permanent visual damage.
Thai
J Ophthalmol 2000 ; January-June 14(1) : 7-15.
Key word: Chloroquine
maculopathy, Bull’s eye maculopathy, Discoid Lupus Erythrematosus, Rheumatoid
arthritis.
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