Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1968 Sep 7;3(5618):579–584. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5618.579

Chloroquine: Ophthalmological Safety, and Clinical Assessment in Rheumatoid Arthritis

S P B Percival, I Meanock
PMCID: PMC1991130  PMID: 4875645

Abstract

272 patients on long-term chloroquine therapy were assessed with respect to ocular toxicity and clinical benefit. A simple scheme for rendering patients ophthalmologically safe is presented, employing the recording of central fields to red targets. Under this it was possible to diagnose a state of premaculopathy, which was reversible on stopping treatment. The incidence of premaculopathy was 41% in 143 patients who otherwise displayed no abnormality of the fundus oculi and who had received a mean total dose of 410 g. of chloroquine phosphate or the hydroxychloroquine sulphate equivalent. Under this joint ophthalmological and rheumatological supervision it was considered that the minor side-effects that may be caused by chloroquine are outweighed by its therapeutic value.

Full text

PDF
579

Images in this article

582Fig. 3
on p.582

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adlakha D., Crews S. J., Shearer A. C., Tonks E. L. Electrodiagnosis in drug-induced disorders of the eye. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K. 1967;87:267–284. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Carr R. E., Gouras P., Gunkel R. D. Chloroquine retinopathy. Early detection by retinal threshold test. Arch Ophthalmol. 1966 Feb;75(2):171–178. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1966.00970050173005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. FREEDMAN A., STEINBERG V. L. Chloroquine in rheumatoid arthritis; a double blindfold trial of treatment for one year. Ann Rheum Dis. 1960 Sep;19:243–250. doi: 10.1136/ard.19.3.243. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gunkel R. D. Retinal profiles. A psychophysical test of rod and cone sensitivity. Arch Ophthalmol. 1967 Jan;77(1):22–25. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1967.00980020024006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HENKIND P., CARR R. E., SIEGEL I. M. EARLY CHLOROQUINE RETINOPATHY: CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL FINDINGS. Arch Ophthalmol. 1964 Feb;71:157–165. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1964.00970010173003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HOBBS H. E., SORSBY A., FREEDMAN A. Retinopathy following chloroquine therapy. Lancet. 1959 Oct 3;2(7101):478–480. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(59)90604-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hobbs H. E., Eadie S. P., Somerville F. OCULAR LESIONS AFTER TREATMENT WITH CHLOROQUINE. Br J Ophthalmol. 1961 Apr;45(4):284–297. doi: 10.1136/bjo.45.4.284. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. KENNEDY C. B., O'QUINN S. E., HENINGTON V. M., PERRET W. J. Chloroquine: therapeutic indications and side effects. South Med J. 1963 Jul;56:760–764. doi: 10.1097/00007611-196307000-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. NOZIK R. A., WEINSTOCK F. J., VIGNOS P. J., Jr OCULAR COMPLICATIONS OF CHLOROQUINE. A SERIES AND CASE PRESENTATION WITH A SIMPLE METHOD FOR EARLY DETECTION OF RETINOPATHY. Am J Ophthalmol. 1964 Nov;58:774–778. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. PENNER R., SOMERS K. Bilateral macular degeneration associated with chloroquine therapy. Am J Ophthalmol. 1962 Sep;54:381–385. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(62)93754-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. POPERT A. J., MEIJERS K. A., SHARP J., BIER F. Chloroquine diphosphate in rheumatoid arthritis. A controlled trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 1961 Mar;20:18–35. doi: 10.1136/ard.20.1.18. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Percival S. P. The ocular toxicity of chloroquine. Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K. 1967;87:355–357. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. REES R. B., MAIBACH H. I. CHLOROQUINE. A REVIEW OF REACTIONS AND DERMATOLOGIC INDICATIONS. Arch Dermatol. 1963 Sep;88:280–289. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1963.01590210038006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SCULL E. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1962 Feb;5:30–36. doi: 10.1002/art.1780050105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES