Structural and Functional Retinal and Optic Nerve Changes in Patients on Amiodarone Therapy

Abstract

iodarone is one of those commonly used antiarrhythmic drugs which is used for the treatment of life-threatening cardiac conduction pathologies. Amiodarone-associated ocular toxicity was previously reported in the form of corneal deposits and anterior subcapsular cataract in addition to the possibility of optic neuropathy. In this study we investigated the structural and functional retinal and optic nerve changes in patients on chronic amiodarone therapy using different scanning modalities aiming for early identification of any subclinical affection. Thirty eyes were included in this study in two groups. Group of patients included 15 eyes of cardiac patients on amiodarone therapy for more than four consecutive months, and a control group included 15 eyes of age- and sex-matched healthy participants. Both groups have underwent full ophthalmological examination, OCT scanning of optic nerve head, GCC, macular map thickness, and finally the electrophysiological studies included PVEP, PERG, and mf-ERG.

Electrophysiological studies wer