A Critical Review of the Effects of Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine on the Eye

Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology volume 49, pages317–326(2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine have been used for more than 50 years to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other rheumatic diseases. In general, these drugs are well tolerated and rarely need to be discontinued because of an adverse systemic reaction. However, both medications can be irreversibly toxic to the retina. A new study indicates that toxicity is not as rare as once believed, but depends critically on daily dosage and duration of use, as well as other risk factors. With attention to dosage and other factors, and with proper screening for early signs of toxicity, HCQ can be prescribed with relative safety even over long periods of time.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article.

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    Affiliations

    1. Université René Descartes Paris V, Paris, France

      Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau, Bertrand Dunogué, Nathalie Morel, Moez Jallouli, Véronique Le Guern & Antoine P. Brézin

    2. Centre de Référence Maladies Auto-Immunes et Systémiques Rares, Service de Médecine Interne Pôle Médecine, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75679, Paris Cedex 14, France

      Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau, Bertrand Dunogué, Nathalie Morel, Moez Jallouli & Véronique Le Guern

    3. AP-HP, Service de Médecine Interne, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47-83 Boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75651, Paris Cedex 13, France

      Gaëlle Leroux

    4. Centre de Référence Pour le Lupus Systémique et le Syndrome des Antiphospholipides, Service de Médecine Interne, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47-83 Boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75651, Paris Cedex 13, France

      Jean-Charles Piette

    5. Service d’Ophtalmologie, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75679, Paris Cedex 14, France

      Antoine P. Brézin

    6. Department of Ophthalmology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Redwood City, CA, 94063, USA

      Ronald B. Melles

    7. Byers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2452 Watson Ct, Palo Alto, CA, 94303-3216, USA

      Michael F. Marmor

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    1. Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau
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    Correspondence to Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau or Michael F. Marmor.

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    Antoine P. Brézin, Ronald B. Melles and Michael F. Marmor contributed equally to this work.

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    Costedoat-Chalumeau, N., Dunogué, B., Leroux, G. et al. A Critical Review of the Effects of Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine on the Eye. Clinic Rev Allerg Immunol 49, 317–326 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-015-8469-8

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    Keywords

    • Hydroxychloroquine
    • Chloroquine
    • Antimalarials
    • Systemic lupus erythematosus
    • Retinopathy
    • Drug toxicity