Vigabatrin retinal toxicity in children with infantile spasms: An observational cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine time to vigabatrin (VGB, Sabril; Lundbeck, Deerfield, IL) induced retinal damage in children with infantile spasms (IS) and to identify risk factors for VGB-induced retinal damage (VGB-RD).


METHODS
Observational cohort study including 146 participants (68 female, 81 male) with IS, an age-specific epilepsy syndrome of early infancy, treated with VGB. Participants ranged from 3 to 34.9 months of age (median 7.6 months). The median duration of VGB treatment was 16 months (range 4.6-78.5 months). Electroretinograms (ERGs) were performed according to the Standards of the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision. Inclusion required baseline (pre-VGB or within 4 weeks of starting VGB treatment) and at least 2 follow-up ERGs. Significant reduction from baseline of the 30-Hz ERG flicker amplitude on 2 consecutive visits identified VGB-RD. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses depicted the effect of duration of VGB on VGB-RD.


RESULTS
These data represent the largest survival analysis of children treated with VGB who did not succumb to retinal toxicity during the study. Thirty of the 146 participants (21%) showed VGB-RD. The ERG amplitude reduced with duration of VGB treatment (p = 0.0004) with no recovery after VGB cessation. With 6 and 12 months of VGB treatment, 5.3% and 13.3%, respectively, developed VGB-RD. There was neither effect of age of initiation of VGB treatment nor sex of the child on survival statistics and no significant effect of cumulative dosage on the occurrence of VGB-RD.


CONCLUSIONS
Minimizing VGB treatment to 6 months will reduce the prevalence of VGB-RD in patients with IS.
From the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science (C.A.W., T.W., A.K., J.R.B.), and Faculty of Medicine (O.C.S.), The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto (C.A.W., J.R.B., O.C.S.); and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary (F.C.), Canada. Carol.westall@sickkids.ca fcortese@ucalgary.ca.
Carol A
CA
Westall
From the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science (C.A.W., T.W., A.K., J.R.B.), and Faculty of Medicine (O.C.S.), The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto (C.A.W., J.R.B., O.C.S.); and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary (F.C.), Canada.
Tom
T
Wright
From the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science (C.A.W., T.W., A.K., J.R.B.), and Faculty of Medicine (O.C.S.), The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto (C.A.W., J.R.B., O.C.S.); and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary (F.C.), Canada.
Filomeno
F
Cortese
From the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science (C.A.W., T.W., A.K., J.R.B.), and Faculty of Medicine (O.C.S.), The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto (C.A.W., J.R.B., O.C.S.); and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary (F.C.), Canada.
Ananthavalli
A
Kumarappah
From the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science (C.A.W., T.W., A.K., J.R.B.), and Faculty of Medicine (O.C.S.), The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto (C.A.W., J.R.B., O.C.S.); and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary (F.C.), Canada.
O Carter
OC
Snead
From the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science (C.A.W., T.W., A.K., J.R.B.), and Faculty of Medicine (O.C.S.), The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto (C.A.W., J.R.B., O.C.S.); and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary (F.C.), Canada.
Joseph R
JR
Buncic
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D020888:Vigabatrin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D020888:Vigabatrin