About Plaquenil Retinal Toxicity
Hydroxychloroquine or Plaquenil, which was originally an anti-malaria drug, is now commonly used to treat autoimmune diseases and reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Patients on long-term treatment can accumulate the drug in their retinas, which can cause loss of vision. Traditionally, patients were followed primarily using visual field tests to detect any changes. But visual field changes may be misleading since they can result from other eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Using the Multifocal Electroretinogram (mfERG) we can in most cases determine whether you have Plaquenil Toxicity and advise your doctor of potential problems. Multifocal Electroretinogram (mfERG), is a painless test, performed in our office and is the only objective test of retinal function to detect early toxicity.