Toxic optic neuropathies: an updated review

Abstract

Toxic optic neuropathy (TON) is caused by the damage to the optic nerve through different toxins, including drugs, metals, organic solvents, methanol and carbon dioxide. A similar clinical picture may also be caused by nutritional deficits, including B vitamins, folic acid and proteins with sulphur-containing amino acids. This review summarizes the present knowledge on disease-causing factors, clinical presentation, diagnostics and treatment in TON. It discusses in detail known and hypothesized relations between drugs, including tuberculostatic drugs, antimicrobial agents, antiepileptic drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs, disulfiram, halogenated hydroquinolones, antimetabolites, tamoxifen and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and optic neuropathy.

Keywords: Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy; adalimumab optic neuropathy; antitumor necrosis factor alpha optic neuropathy; cuban epidemic optic neuropathy; ethambutol optic neuropathy; infliximab optic neuropathy; nutritional optic neuropathy; tobacco-alcohol amblyopia; toxic optic neuropathy.

© 2014 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.