Cataract occurrence in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs.
OBJECTIVE
Typical antipsychotic drugs, mainly phenothiazines, have been associated with cataract formation for over forty years. Recently, there has been a concern about atypical antipsychotic drugs' potential for inducing this lenticular pathology. Accordingly, we sought to determine the cataract rate and other ocular side effects in patients on long-term therapy with antipsychotic drugs.


METHODS
Eighty outpatients with DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia from two settings who met pre determined inclusion criteria were submitted to an ophthalmological evaluation for ocular abnormalities with emphasis in the lens and cornea. They were divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 52) comprised patients who had been predominantly on typical antipsychotics for at least two years and group 2 (n = 28) patients who had been predominantly on atypical antipsychotics for at least two years.


RESULTS
Cataract was found in 26 patients (33%) with predominance of anterior capsular cataract. The cataract rate among patients from group 1 (40%) was higher than among those from group 2 (18%). Visual acuity was reduced in 21 patients (26%). No changes were observed neither in the cornea nor in the retina.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients using antipsychotic drugs should be submitted to a periodic ophthalmological evaluation.
Souza
Valéria Barreto Novais e
VB
Mental Health Service, Hospital Universiátio Walter Cantideo, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. valbns@yahoo.com.br
Moura Filho
Francisco José Rodrigues de
FJ
Souza
Fábio Gomes de Matos e
FG
Rocha
Camila Farias
CF
Furtado
Fernando Antônio Mendes Lopes
FA
Gonçalves
Tiago Bessa Almeida
TB
Vasconcelos
Karla Feitosa Ximenes
KF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000145:classification; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents