Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness measurements in patients using antimalarial drugs

Purpose: To evaluate the retina nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness with Heidelberg retinal topography (HRT) and optic coherence tomography (OCT) in patients who were use antimalarial drugsMethods: This case-control study included 46 patients using antimalarial drugs and 32 age-matched healthy subjects with no previous history of antimalarial drugs intake. All subjects underwent RNFL assessment using OCT and HRT. Peripapillary RNFL measurements were compared between two groups.Results: The patient?s group was consisted of 40 (87%) female and 6 (13%) male. Eighteen (39,1%) patients had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), five (%10,8%) discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), eight (17,3% ) rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 9(19,5%) Sjögren?s syndrom and six (13%) connective tissue disorders. The control group was comprised of 25 (78,1%) female and seven (21,9%) male.RNFL thickness measurement in the patient?s group with HRT at the onset, sixth and 12 th month for the right eye was 0.26±0.06 mm, 0.27±0.05 mm, 0.27±0.05 mm and for the left eye it was 0.27±0.07 mm, 0.28±0.06mm, 0.26±0.06 respectively. RNFL thickness with HRT in the control group for the right eye and the left eye was 0.27±0.09 mm and 0.25±0.05 mm respectively.Average RNFL thickness measurement in the patient?s group with OCT at the onset, sixth and 12 th month for the right eye was 105,3913±12,33870 mm, 104,5476±11,08 mm, 100.6 ±11.5 mm and for the left eye was 104.8±12.2 mm, 103.9±13.17 mm, 100.0±8.9 mm respectively. Average RNFL thickness with OCT in the control group for the right eye and the left eye was 99.5 ±11.5 mm and 97.12±11.3 mm respectively.The RNFL thickness measurement in the patient?s and control group were not statistically different.Conclusion: The RNFL thickness measured by both OCT and HRT did not got thinner in patients that were on antimalarial drugs.Key words: Antimalarial drugs, ocular coherence tomography, Heidelberg retinal tomography, retina nerve fibre layer thickness, toxic retinopathy