Multifocal electroretinographic abnormalities in ethambutol-induced visual loss.

Abstract

Two patients who developed decreased visual acuity after several months of ethambutol treatment for Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection had bitemporal visual field defects that suggested optic chiasm damage. Multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) disclosed markedly low-amplitude responses at fixation and in the regions corresponding to the visual field defects. These results suggested that the visual dysfunction might be entirely attributable to retinal rather than optic nerve toxicity. These are the first reported patients to show mfERG abnormalities that correspond to bitemporal visual field defects and add to the growing evidence that ethambutol damages the retina.

• Authors: Yao Liu, Marc J Dinkin, John I Loewenstein, Joseph F Rizzo 3rd, Dean M Cestari
• Journal: Journal of neuro-ophthalmology : the official journal of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (J Neuroophthalmol) Vol. 28 Issue 4 Pg. 278-82 (Dec 2008) ISSN: 1536-5166 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19145124 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antitubercular Agents
• Ethambutol

Topics

• Aged
• Antitubercular Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Electroretinography
• Ethambutol (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection (drug therapy)
• Pattern Recognition, Visual (drug effects, physiology)
• Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate (drug effects, pathology)
• Prognosis
• Recovery of Function (drug effects, physiology)
• Retina (drug effects, pathology, physiopathology)
• Retinal Degeneration (chemically induced, diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Vision, Low (chemically induced, diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Visual Fields (drug effects, physiology)