Pericentral Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy in Korean Patients

PurposeA pericentral pattern of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinopathy recently has been recognized in the United States in patients of Asian heritage. We report on an investigation of this pericentral retinopathy within a Korean population.DesignRetrospective, observational study.ParticipantsPatients taking HCQ who were referred to ophthalmology for screening of HCQ retinopathy.MethodsThe medical records of patients were reviewed, including spectral domain optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, and visual fields.Main Outcome MeasuresFrequency of pericentral pattern of HCQ retinopathy and features of progression.ResultsAmong 218 patients referred, 9 (4.1%) were diagnosed with toxicity. Of these, 8 had a predominantly pericentral pattern of retinal change, whereas only 1 had the classic parafoveal distribution of retinal damage. Progression of retinopathy was documented in 3 patients followed more than 12 months while taking HCQ. No progression was seen in 2 patients without retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) damage who were followed for at least 12 months after discontinuation of HCQ.ConclusionsWe found that a pericentral pattern of HCQ retinopathy was predominant among Korean patients, rather than the traditional (bull's eye) parafoveal pattern of damage. Retinopathy progressed while on the drug, but the progression stopped in patients with toxicity detected before RPE damage. These observations suggest the need for new approaches when screening for HCQ toxicity in Asian patients.