Lanthony desaturated panel D15 test in sickle cell patients

The Lanthony D15 desaturated test was used to compare color vision in sickle cell patients with 20/20 visual acuity and peripheral lesions of sickle cell retinopathy with normal controls. Sickle cell patients had significantly higher Lanthony error scores and significantly more blue-yellow and mixed color vision defects than controls. Among patients with sickle cell anemia (SS), Lanthony and Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue test scores were significantly correlated, and both tests showed good agreement in identifying the presence or absence of a color defect. These results suggest that the Lanthony D15 test may be a useful clinical tool to identify blue-yellow color defects, especially because of its brevity and simplicity of administration.

Color vision defects in sickle cell anemia

The Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test was used to compare color vision in patients with sickle cell anemia, 20/20 visual acuity, and mild to severe peripheral retinopathy, but without posterior retinal vessel involvement, with matched normal controls. Patients with sickle cell anemia had significantly more blue-yellow and mixed color vision defects and significantly higher Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue scores than did controls. There were no significant associations between color vision defects and the severity of peripheral retinal findings or the diameter of the foveal avascular zone. These results suggest that color vision defects may exist in patients with sickle cell anemia in the absence of ophthalmoscopic retinal changes in the posterior fundus.

Comparison of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine use and the development of retinal toxicity

We assessed the frequency of retinal toxicity in patients receiving either chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine and factors which may predict patient susceptibility to toxicity. The overall frequency of retinopathy was 6% (7 of 110 patients). Of the 31 patients receiving chloroquine alone, 6 developed toxicity (19%). In contrast, of the 66 patients receiving hydroxychloroquine, none developed retinopathy. Retinopathy was associated with greater age and with greater accumulative doses of chloroquine. Thus, hydroxychloroquine can be used safely with minimal risk of toxicity.

[The effect of prindolol on the blood-pressure profile of hypertensives (with special consideration of response to exercise and plasma-renin activity) (author's transl)]

Using microcatheter blood pressure telemetry, the pressure-lowering effect of prindolol (Visken), a beta-blocking drug, was tested at a dose of 10 mg three time daily by mouth in eight patients with essential hypertension (WHO stage II) and low to normal plasma-renin activities. After about ten days of treatment, the hypertensive reaction to everyday physical exercise (walking, climbing stairs, bicycle ergometry) was especially favourably affected. The average blood-pressure reduction at rest was 18.6/12.1 (systolic/diastolic), on stair climbing 41.5/17.2 mm Hg.