Update on Monitoring and Preventing Hydroxychloroquine Toxicity.
Update on Monitoring and Preventing Hydroxychloroquine Toxicity.
Oral Hydoxychloroquine is a very popular medication widely used by patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and other diseases. Ocular side effects of this medication are very serious and causes loss of central vision. In most patients these side effects are dose related, cumulative. This means that the risk of side effects would increase in all patients with continued use of the medication. In few people use of the medication would not be recommended if they have some bilateral macular problems. This is because the side effects of this medication does cause serious degredation of the macula in both eyes.
The ocular side effects of Hydroxychloroquine has been known for long time. Due to the seriousness of these side effects all possible efforts were done to prevent them. Preventing these side effects would ideally need prior screening of all patients who are to use oral Hydroxychloroquine. If patients are not screened prior to oral Hydroxychloroquine use they should be examined as soon as possible after starting this medication. Advances in technology, specifically the advent of optical coherence tomography, made screening and monitoring for Hydroxychloroquine toxicity much more easier and reliable meantime.
Inclusion Criteria: all patients who need treatment with oral Hydroxychloroquine.
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Exclusion Criteria: patients who are not using oral Hydroxychloroquine.
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