Ocular Toxicology
Digitalis
- A cardiac failure drug
- Causes chromatopsia (objects appear yellow) with overdose
Chloroquines
- E.g. chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine
- Used in malaria, rheumatoid arthritis & SLE
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Cause vortex keratopathy (corneal verticillata) which is usually asymptomatic but can present with glare and photophobia
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Also cause retinopathy (bull’s eye maculopathy)
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Ethambutol
- An anti-TB drug
- Causes a dose-related optic neuropathy
- Usually causes reversible but occasionally permanent visual damage
Other Agents
- Methanol – optic atrophy and blindness
- Contraceptive pills – pseudotumor cerebri (papilledema), and dryness (CL intolerance)
- Hypervitaminosis A – yellow skin and conjunctiva, pseudotumor cerebri (papilledema)
- Hypovitaminosis A – night blindness (nyctalopia), sterile corneal melting (keratomalacia), dry eyes (Xerophthalmia) and bitot’s spots
