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Drug-induced lipidoses of the cornea and conjunctiva

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Abstract

A variety of lysosomal disorders affect the human cornea and conjunctiva. These disorders may result from inborn abnormalities of a specific intralysosomal enzyme such as the deficit of ceramide trihexosidase in Fabry's disease. Alternately, lysosomal dysfunction may be the result of drug administration with subsequent drug-induced lipidosis. Chloroquine, amiodarone, amodiaquine, benoquin, tilorone, and gentamicin are lipidosis-inducing drugs with proven involvement of the human cornea and conjunctiva. Similarities between Fabry's disease and the drug-induced lipidoses include intraepithelial corneal deposits frequently arranged in a verticillate or vortex pattern, and the presence of abnormal inclusions of intralysosomal lipid in corneal and conjunctival tissue when examined by transmission electron microscopy. These striking parallels invite consideration of lysosomal dysfunction as a factor in the recognized or potential toxicity of drugs inducing lipidosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School The Cornea Service Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA

    Donald J. D'amico & Kenneth R. Kenyon

  2. Department of Cornea Research and Morphology Unit, Eye Research Institute of Retina Foundation, Boston, MA, USA

    Donald J. D'amico & Kenneth R. Kenyon

Authors
  1. Donald J. D'amico
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  2. Kenneth R. Kenyon
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Additional information

Supported in part by Academic Investigator Award EY00156 from the National Eye Institute, NIH; a grant-in-aid from Fight For Sight, Inc., NYC; the Research to Prevent Blindness James S. Adams Award; Biomedical Research Support Grant RR05527 from the National Eye Institute, NIH; and the Massachusetts Lions Eye Research Fund, Inc. (Dr. Kenyon).

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D'amico, D.J., Kenyon, K.R. Drug-induced lipidoses of the cornea and conjunctiva. Int Ophthalmol 4, 67–76 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00139581

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