Professional paper

Frequency of retinopathy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated by chlorochine

Zlatko Balog
Tanja Jukić-Lešina

Abstract

Chloroquine phosphate is a 4-aminoquinoline compound widely accepted as the "second line antirheumatic drug" ("disease modifying drug", "basic drug") in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The original enthusiasm for this compound diminished after the recognition of serious retinal damage. We treated 24 patients during 8 (1) to 96 months (total: 643 months or in average 26,79 months) with Chlorochine in 250 mg daily doses. The ophthalmological examinations were repeatedly done every 4.5 to 5.5 months. One female patient showed transient of the first isoptere after 26 months of treatment and 1 female patient after 2 and half years of treatment was found as having perimacular bilateral pigment disgrupations. Our experience is that ocular toxicity is infrequent and can be minimized by careful and permanent ophthalmological control.

Keywords

Chlorochine; Retinopathy; Rheumatoid arthritis

Hrčak ID:

191994

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/191994

Publication date:

1.12.1999.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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