PATHOLOGIC CHANGES IN AMBLYOPIA FOLLOWING TRYPARSAMIDE THERAPY

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Abstract
The pentavalent arsenical atoxyl, introduced in 1902 by Blumenthal,1was first used in the treatment of protozoan diseases in 1905 by Thomas.2Since, as the name indicates, the drug was considered nontoxic, it was used extensively in the therapy of trypanosomiasis, pernicious anemia and psoriasis. After the identification of Spirochaeta pallida, the drug was almost immediately applied to the treatment of syphilis. Extensive use of atoxyl soon demonstrated various cases of toxicity. Progressive loss of vision occurred frequently (Bornemann,3Igersheimer,4Beck,5Fehr6), and studies of the visual fields showed that the subjective blurring of vision was accompanied by peripheral contraction that progressed to complete blindness. Once visual symptoms occurred, visual loss continued in spite of withdrawal of the drug. Loss of vision developed in nonsyphilitic as well as syphilitic patients, and it appeared that the drug acted specifically on the visual sensory mechanism. In

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