Ocular Findings Associated with Long-term Chlorpromazine Therapy.

Jung, Byung Soo; Lee, Tae Hwan; Lee, Hae Young

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1996;37(11):1951-1957.
Published online November 1, 1996.

Ocular Findings Associated with Long-term Chlorpromazine Therapy.

Byung Soo Jung, Tae Hwan Lee, Hae Young Lee

Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul Red Cross Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

장기간의 Chlorpromizne 치료와 연관된 안소견

정병수(Byung Soo Jung),이태환(Tae Hwan Lee),이해영(Hae Young Lee)

Abstract

Chlorpromazine has been widely used as anti-psychosis drug in psychiatry and its prolonged intake can cause pathologic changes in skin and eye preferentially. We performed ocular examinations on 17 patients(34 eyes) who have received long-term chlorpromazine therapy. In slit lamp biomicroscopic examination, changes on periocular skin, conjunctiva and retina could rarely be seen. However, deep punctate or granular corneal opacities were seen in 10 eyes (29.4%), anterior subcapsular stellate cataracts were seen in 12 eyes (35.3%) and photosensitive conjunctival injections were seen in 6 eyes (17.6%). Secretory function of tear decreased in 30 eyes (88.2%). Conclusively, in treating patients who have above findings of anterior segment, careful history taking about long term drug intake and periodic follow up are recommended.

Key Words: Chlorpromazine;Corneal opacity;Photosensitive conjunctival injection;Stellate cataract