IS RETINOPATHY DUE TO STARGARDT'S DISEASE OR AFTER MALARIA TREATMENT WITH CHLOROQUINE?
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Central vision impairment associated with macular degeneration in young adults in the absence of other chronic conditions can be associated with an autosomal recessive condition known as Stargardt's Disease (SD). One of the serious complications of long term malaria prophylaxis (LTMP) is maculopathy associated with chloroquine treatment. This complication can cause blindness as well as permanent visual impairment. Evidence suggests that the cumulative dose of LTMP should not exceed 140 g for subjects at risk of chloroquine retinopathy (CR). We present a case of macular degeneration with possible genetic inheritance associated with SD. However, presentation was associated with chloroquine treatment for malaria as a single dose of 120g over three days. Periodic screening is required since a threshold dose of chloroquine for causing toxicity in the retina has not yet been established.
Article Details
Work published in JPMI is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.