digoxin and Retinal-Diseases

Digoxin related retinal toxicity causes blurred vision, photophobia, central scotoma, color vision abnormality, and electroretinography (ERG) abnormalities. Here, we report a case with transient abnormalities in vison, in which fundus autofluorescence (FAF), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and ERG findings resembled those in KCNV2 (potassium voltage-gated channel modifier subfamily V member 2)-associated retinopathy.. An 89-year-old woman presented with complaints of acute blurred vision, nyctalopia, photophobia, and color vision abnormality. She received digoxin for tachycardia induced by atrial fibrillation for a month. The fundi showed a faint white ring at the fovea, which showed hyperfluorescence in FAF. OCT showed a thickened EZ in the macula. A dark-adapted (DA)-30 ERG showed a reduced and "squaring (trough-flattened)" a-wave, and a delayed, supernormal b-wave, resulting in a high b/a-wave amplitude ratio. The digoxin dose was reduced following an elevation in serum levels. Five weeks later, her visual acuities improved, and abnormal hyperfluorescence on FAF disappeared. After 6 months, no visual symptoms were reported. The ellipsoid-zone thickening in OCT improved; however, the b/a-wave amplitude ratio on DA-30 ERG remained high. The b-wave in LA-long-flash ERG was initially reduced, which improved after correction of serum level of digoxin.. The patient's clinical findings resembled those of patients with KCNV2-associated retinopathy or temporal hyperkalemia. These disorders appear to have a common pathogenesis, which may be related to abnormal extracellular potassium levels in the retina. The on-bipolar cells seemed to be more affected than the off-bipolar cells in digoxin related retinal toxicity.

Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Digoxin; Electroretinography; Female; Humans; Photophobia; Potassium; Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; Retinal Diseases; Tomography, Optical Coherence

Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Cardiotonic Agents; Digoxin; Female; Humans; Retina; Retinal Diseases; Tomography, Optical Coherence

To investigate functional alteration of the retina induced by digoxin in monkeys.. Digoxin was intravenously administered to cynomolgus monkeys and standard full-field electroretinograms (ERGs) were serially recorded. In other digoxin-treated monkeys, the rod and cone a-waves to high-intensity flashes were obtained and analyzed by the a-wave fitting model (a-wave analysis). The following responses were also recorded: dark- and light-adapted responses to flashes of different intensities (dark- and light-adapted luminance responses), photopic ERG elicited by long-duration stimulus (ON-OFF response), and the photopic negative response (PhNR).. Delayed b-wave was observed in all responses of the standard full-field ERGs; amplitude of the b-wave was increased in the rod response, but was decreased in the single-flash cone response and the 30-Hz flicker. These changes recovered gradually after elimination of digoxin from the blood. Digoxin enhanced and delayed the b-wave in the dark-adapted luminance-response analysis regardless of stimulus intensity. In the light-adapted luminance-response analysis, digoxin attenuated the a- and b-waves only at high and middle stimulus intensity, respectively. The a-wave analysis revealed selective decrease in the maximum response parameter (Rmax) in the cone a-wave. Both the b- and d-waves of the ON-OFF response were delayed.. The selectively reduced Rmax in the cone a-wave indicated dysfunction of the cone photoreceptors in digoxin-treated monkeys. Meanwhile, the enhanced and delayed rod response suggested alteration of retinal components other than the cone photoreceptors. These results may contribute to the understanding of digoxin-induced visual disturbances in humans. It is suggested that the cone function is markedly, but not exclusively, affected in the retina of such patients.

Topics: Animals; Dark Adaptation; Digoxin; Electroretinography; Enzyme Inhibitors; Infusions, Intravenous; Macaca fascicularis; Ophthalmoscopy; Photic Stimulation; Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells; Retinal Diseases; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; Vision Disorders

To investigate photoreceptor dysfunction caused by digoxin toxicity.. First, a patient who experienced toxic side effects from digoxin was studied acutely by serial electroretinography and later during convalescence. Second, the light responses of isolated photoreceptors exposed to varying amounts of digoxin were studied in vitro.. Electroretinographic amplitudes were reduced and implicit times were delayed when digoxin levels were elevated and recovered slowly after return to normal digoxin levels. Isolated photoreceptors exhibited concentration-dependent reductions in the magnitude of the light response during digoxin exposure, suggesting reduction in the dark current due to blockade of the sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase pump. Cones were about 50-fold more sensitive than rods.. Reversible rod and cone dysfunction occur during exposure to toxic levels of digoxin. Photoreceptor dysfunction is probably due to the diminution of the dark current in response to the sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase blockade.

Topics: Ambystoma; Animals; Dark Adaptation; Digoxin; Electrophysiology; Electroretinography; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Photic Stimulation; Photoreceptor Cells; Retinal Diseases; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase

Topics: Animals; Dark Adaptation; Digoxin; Photoreceptor Cells; Rats; Retinal Diseases; Visual Acuity; Visual Fields