Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects

Abstract

Drug side effects seen in clinical ophthalmology are divided into two types. The first comprises those induced by drugs administered for ocular diseases, and the second, those induced by drugs given for non-ocular diseases. Among cases of ocular side effects which were reported in scientific journals in Japan between 1956 and 1988, the most frequently seen were those induced by chemotherapeutics, steroids, several kinds of ophthalmic solutions and agents affecting central nervous system. Of recent problematic drugs with related ocular side effects, ophthalmic solution of β-blocker for cardiovascular events, cyclopentrate for psychological disturbance, anaesthetics for corneal damage, fluorescein-Na for sudden death or shock, ethambutol for optic neuropathy, oral contraceptives for disturbance of retinal circulation and steroids for cataracts and serous choroidretipathy should be paid special attention.

To detect ocular side effects induced by administered drugs as early as possible, ophthalmologists who care for the patients should always have enough knowledge about the drug and periodic examinations should be performed.

Experimental studies concerning drug toxicity on ocular tissues performed by the author's lab were briefly introduced. They were i. drug-toxicity test utilizing a cultured human conjunctival cells, ii. the influence of drug-affinity with melanin pigment which correlates with intraocular drug dynamic mode and iii. how to detect drug induced changes in the crystalline lens.