Value of Microperimetry in Detecting Early Retinal Toxicity of Hydroxychloroquine in Children with Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Purpose: To evaluate retinal sensitivity in children who are on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for systemic lupus erythematosus using microperimetry and compare the results with those of the Humphrey visual field (HVF) 10-2 and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Procedure: A case-control cross-sectional study including 19 patients (less than 18 years old) on HCQ for at least 5 years. Controls were 21 normal children. Participants underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, then were investigated using HVF 10-2, SD-OCT, and microperimetry. Results: Ocular examination revealed no abnormalities. The overall mean microperimetry sensitivity of the patients (15.75 dB) was not significantly different from that of the controls (16.35 dB). The HVF 10-2 showed a significant difference in the mean deviation of the patients. Conclusions and Message: Microperimetry was not more revealing than HVF 10-2 and SD-OCT. Larger studies are required to compare the diagnostic accuracy of screening modalities of retinal toxicity in children on HCQ.