[Case report on choroidal effusion after oral acetazolamide administration: an unusual manifestation of a well-known idiosyncratic effect?]

Orv Hetil. 2017 Dec;158(50):1998-2002. doi: 10.1556/650.2017.30944.
[Article in Hungarian]

Abstract

Sulpha drugs are widely employed in medicine for various diseases and disorders. During the last several decades, numerous papers had been published on supra ciliary and posterior choroidal effusion likely presenting as an idiosyncratic effect of these drugs especially of acetazolamide. In each publication, the effusion was associated with either an acute angle-closure glaucoma or transitory myopia or both of these as leading symptoms. In the current publication, authors report on two cases where the acetazolamide-induced choroidal effusion was an accidental finding without either a myopic shift in refraction or an acute elevation in intraocular pressure. To our best knowledge, ours is the first report in the literature describing this unusual, "silent" form of a sulpha drug-induced choroidal effusion. Since the choroidal involvement may vary in size and location, and is not necessarily associated with acute glaucoma and myopia, one can assume that a considerable amount of acetazolamide-related ocular side-effects will not be discovered. The above case report aims to draw the attention of other specialities to the need for ophthalmic examination for their patients taking sulpha drugs with acute visual deterioration. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(50): 1998-2002.

Keywords: acetazolamid; acetazolamide; chorioidealeválás; choroidal effusion; ocular side-effect; ophthalmic idiosyncrasy; szemészeti idioszinkrázia; szemészeti mellékhatás.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acetazolamide / administration & dosage
  • Acetazolamide / adverse effects*
  • Acute Disease
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors / adverse effects*
  • Choroid Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Choroid Diseases / diagnosis
  • Ciliary Body / pathology
  • Edema / chemically induced
  • Humans
  • Male

Substances

  • Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors
  • Acetazolamide