A Case of Phentermine Hydrochloride Induced Acute Myopia and Acute Angle Closure

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe a case of bilateral acute myopia and acute angle-closure associated with phentermine hydrochloride, a drug used for obesity treatment. CASE SUMMARY: A 25-year-old woman visited our hospital with blurry vision and ocular pain after taking phentermine hydrochloride for three weeks. Manifest refraction accompanied myopic shift in the both eyes, slit-lamp examination showed forward displacement of the lens-iris diaphragm and fundus examination revealed retinal folds. Suspecting phentermine hydrochloride induced acute myopia and acute angle closure, discontinuation of the drug and administration of cycloplegic agents and antiglaucomatic agent successfully resolved the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Although the exact mechanism is unknown, phentermine hydrochloride may generate ciliochoroidal effusion and ciliary edema, lead to acute myopia and acute angle closure resulting from forward displacement of the lens-iris diaphragm.