2025 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 374-376
Cyclopentolate hydrochloride is an anticholinergic drug used as a paralytic agent during examinations for refractive errors, strabismus, and amblyopia. It has been reported to cause side effects such as drowsiness, hyperemia, and hallucinations. We encountered a case of convulsive seizures after administration of cyclopentolate hydrochloride, as its rare side effect. We describe a 5-year-old girl with trisomy 18 associated with congenital heart disease, hepatoblastoma, and febrile seizures. During her visit to the ophthalmologist for follow-up of amblyopia, cyclopentolate hydrochloride (1%) eye drops were applied three times to both eyes. Thirty minutes after the last application, she experienced focal clonic convulsions involving the face and extremities. Although diazepam suppository was ineffective, intravenous phenobarbital achieved seizure cessation. She was discharged without sequelae on day six after admission. Physicians should pay careful attention to the possibility of developing seizure following cyclopentolate hydrochloride administration in infants and children with convulsive predisposition.
