Ophthalmological examination of patients taking chloroquine

✍ Scribed by H. S. Graniewski-Wijnands; G. H. M. Lith; S. Vijfvinkel-Bruinenga

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1980
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 167 KB
• Volume: 48
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0012-4486
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00141446

✦ Synopsis

EOGs have been routinely measured once a year in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with chloroquine derivatives.

Criterion for the advice to stop the treatment was a decrease in the EOG of more than 20% of the value obtained before treatment was started ~r, where this value had not been determined, a decrease in the EOG to below 1.85, i.e. the Arden criterion.

Evaluating the results, it appears that in RA patients, examined once a year, the variability of the EOG is approximately 30% of the value obtained. Furthermore, instead of a lower limit for the normal value of 1.85, we found in the rheumatism group 1.6. If these new criteria were to be apphed, less than 4% of the patients would be advised to stop chloroquine treatment. We wonder whether check-ups of these patients remain necessary when dosage of chloroquine or its equivalent is below 75 g per year.