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Sunday, 27 September 2009 23:29
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Omar Abbasi, MD, and Asheesh Tewari, MD, Detroit A variety of pharmacologic agents can cause toxicity to the retina. While many of these can be grouped by anatomic location or type of toxicity, there are also individual medications with characteristic effects. In this article, we will describe several major categories of pharmacologic retinal toxicity and discuss examples of individual medications. • Interferon. Interferon (Betaseron) is a recombinant DNA-based protein used in the treatment of several conditions, including hepatitis C, leukemia, lymphoma and multiple sclerosis. Retinopathy is a well-characterized side effect of treatment and includes cotton-wool spots, intraretinal and pre-retinal hemorrhage, and macular edema (See Figure 3). Go to the link below to view the 'figure 3'. A wide incidence range of 18 percent to 86 percent has been reported for interferon retinopathy.24 Signs develop within two weeks to three months of treatment onset; patients may complain of blurred vision or be entirely asymptomatic. Vision loss, though rare, can occur and be irreversible. Patients with diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension are more likely to show clinical signs of interferon retinopathy and must be followed closely. Clinical findings usually resolve spontaneously when interferon is discontinued, however the benefit of completing treatment must be weighed against the risk of permanent vision loss and discussed with the prescribing physician. At baseline, a full fundoscopic exam with photos is helpful to monitor the patient both pre- and post-treatment. Continue Reading........ (We only included interferon as a drug that can cause Retinopathy). http://www.revophth.com/index.asp?page=1_14331.htm http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/ ... l-sjs.html Add this page to your favourite Social Bookmarking websites;         
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