The use of many drugs in dermatologic diseases may cause ocular side effects. Some may regress after discontinuation of the
therapy, but others persist or progress even after the
cessation of treatment. This review presents four groups of commonly prescribed
drugs-antimalarial medicines,
glucocorticoids,
retinoids, and
psoralens + ultraviolet A (UVA)
therapy-and discusses their possible ocular side effects. The most significant complication of
antimalarial drugs is retinopathy with the risk of permanent
visual impairment. There are different recommendations for screening for this
drug-related retinopathy. The most important ocular manifestations of
steroid management are irreversible optic nerve damage in "
steroid responders" (
steroid glaucoma) and
cataract. Some other side effects may disappear after discontinuation of the
therapy.
Retinoid-induced ocular side effects include ocular surface disease as well as
retinal dysfunction. It is recommended to modify the
therapy when
night blindness occurs or after the decrease of color vision. Protective eyewear is sufficient to avoid ocular surface problems during
psoralen + UVA
therapy. The knowledge of screening schemes and closer cooperation between physicians may decrease the risk of serious or irreversible ocular side effects.