Charles Bonnet syndrome precipitated by brimonidine tartrate eye drops
- 1Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuro-ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, LKSD 3200, 1100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- 2Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- 3Department of Ophthalmology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Correspondence to: Dr Robert L Tomsak, Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuro-ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, LKSD 3200, 1100 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Robert.Tomsak{at}uhhs.com
- Accepted 9 November 2002
Brimonidine tartrate (BT) (Alphagan) is an α-2 adrenergic agonist marketed for treatment of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) which may have neuroprotective effects.1 One report of acute delusional psychosis with auditory hallucinations in a 68 year old man treated for POAG has been published,2 and use of BT eye drops in an infant resulted in coma and other serious systemic abnormalities.3 Here we report four elderly patients with bilateral visual loss who developed formed visual hallucinations (Charles Bonnet syndrome; CBS) shortly after beginning the use of BT eye drops. The hallucinations ceased after discontinuation of BT drops in three cases, and after decreasing the dose in one case, within a time frame of days to 4 months.
Case reports
Table 1 summarises visual …
