Recovery of visual field constriction following discontinuation of vigabatrin.
Epilepsy patients treated with vigabatrin may develop symptomatic or asymptomatic concentric visual field constriction due to GABA-associated retinal dysfunction. The prevalence and course of this side effect are not established yet; in previously reported adult patients the visual disturbances seem to be irreversible. We present two patients with a significant improvement of visual field constriction and retinal function after the discontinuation of vigabatrin. These findings suggest that vigabatrin-associated retinal changes are at least partly reversible in some patients, and that these patients may benefit significantly from a withdrawal of vigabatrin. Larger scale clinical studies are needed to identify predictive factors both for the occurrence and reversibility of vigabatrin-associated visual field defects.
Krakow
K
K
Epilepsy Research Group, Department of Clinical Neurology, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, UK. k.krakow@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Polizzi
G
G
Riordan-Eva
P
P
Holder
G
G
MacLeod
W N
WN
Fish
D R
DR
D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects; D020888:Vigabatrin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000187:drug effects*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase; D020888:Vigabatrin