In vivo confocal microscopy in chloroquine-induced keratopathy

ABSTRACT

In vivo confocal microscopy is becoming a mandatory examination to study corneal abnormalities such as drug deposits in systemic disease. A female diagnosed with fibromyalgia on systemic chloroquine for 9 months presented for an ophthalmic examination. Confocal microscopy was performed using the Confoscan 4 [Nidek Co. Ltd., Gamagori, Japan] and multiple highly reflective deposits in the epithelial basal cells were found, that were consistent with choloquine. Deposits were also present in the wing cell layer. In the anterior stroma these deposits were rare. Atypically shaped and branched nerves were also present in the anterior stroma. Corneal deposits of chloroquine can be evaluated by confocal microscopy. Confocal microscopy provides information on corneal metabolism and physiology. Chloroquine keratopathy can affect the anterior stroma in addition to the epithelium