J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2011 Jul;52(7):881-886. 10.3341/jkos.2011.52.7.881.

A Case of Phentermine Hydrochloride Induced Acute Myopia and Acute Angle Closure

• Koo SH
• Choi WS
• Lee JW
• Park YJ
• Lee KW

• KMID: 2214716
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2011.52.7.881

Abstract

PURPOSE
To describe a case of bilateral acute myopia and acute angle-closure associated with phentermine hydrochloride, a drug used for obesity treatment.
CASE SUMMARY
A 25-year-old woman visited our hospital with blurry vision and ocular pain after taking phentermine hydrochloride for three weeks. Manifest refraction accompanied myopic shift in the both eyes, slit-lamp examination showed forward displacement of the lens-iris diaphragm and fundus examination revealed retinal folds. Suspecting phentermine hydrochloride induced acute myopia and acute angle closure, discontinuation of the drug and administration of cycloplegic agents and antiglaucomatic agent successfully resolved the symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the exact mechanism is unknown, phentermine hydrochloride may generate ciliochoroidal effusion and ciliary edema, lead to acute myopia and acute angle closure resulting from forward displacement of the lens-iris diaphragm.

Keyword

Acute angle closure; Acute myopia; Phentermine hydrochloride

MeSH Terms

Adult
Diaphragm
Displacement (Psychology)
Edema
Eye
Female
Humans
Myopia
Obesity
Phentermine
Retinaldehyde
Vision, Ocular
Phentermine
Retinaldehyde

Figure

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  Figure 1. ORB scan of both eyes after use of phentermine hydrochloride for 3 weeks shows shallow anterior chamber (Yellow arrow: anterior chamber depth).

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  Figure 2. Fundus photographs after use of phentermine hydrochloride for 3 weeks showed retinal folds at perimacular area (A, B). After using cycloplegics and ceasing phentermine hydrochloride for 1 week, retinal folds disappeared (C, D) (White arrow: retinal folds).

Reference

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