Early detection of macular changes with multifocal ERG in patients on antimalarial drug therapy

Abstract

Purpose: To compare and to evaluate the use of the multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) to conventional systems in assessing early changes of the retinal electric signals in patients with ocular dysfunction due to antimalarial drug therapy.

Methods: This article represents an up-to-date review of the current thoughts regarding the mfERG technique and its use in providing a topographic measure of the retinal electrophysiological activity.

Results: Various investigations have been suggested to be useful in the assessment of toxic retinopathy, but, since they involve subjective responses by the patients and lack of sensibility, the mfERG may be particularly useful for documenting early toxic retinopathy.

Conclusions: A small percentage of patients face retinal functional alterations and ocular lesions and that is possible thanks to the use of lower dosages of hydroxychloroquine (Hy) and chloroquine (CQ), but the problem still remains because of the cumulative dose of the drugs in therapy that many of these patients go through. The mfERG can be considered a good method of early detection and tracking of the progression of macular changes of retinopathy and could occupy a key position in assessing macular changes in patients on antimalarial drug therapy.