We report a case involving a 38-year-old woman who developed Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) during treatment with orally administered ethambutol. Nine months after treatment initiation with oral ethambutol (52 kg body weight, 750 mg/day, 225 g in total), the patient exhibited decreased visual acuity, and 3 months later, she underwent her first detailed examination at Kitasato University Hospital. Although ethambutol-induced optic neuropathy was primarily suspected on the basis of her medical history and examination, optic disc swelling was significant, and the onset of the disease was rapid, which was atypical of ethambutol-induced optic neuropathy. Neuro-ophthalmological evaluations were performed, and mitochondrial DNA assessment confirmed the mitochondrial
DNA11778 point mutation, leading to a diagnosis of LHON. Our findings suggest that ethambutol is a likely triggering factor for LHON, and it is important to consider LHON in cases of decreased visual acuity during the oral administration of ethambutol. Patients should be asked about their family history before the initiation of ethambutol treatment, and mitochondrial DNA assessments should be performed, particularly when the course of optic neuropathy is atypical.
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