[Malaise with sweating induced by eye-drop. A case of iatrogenic pathology caused by diagnostic error]

Eye-drops can provoke various systemic side effects and diagnosis of an iatrogenic pathology can made difficult. Observation For 4 months, and 80 year-old man had experienced severe recurrent episodes of sweating concomitant with shaking of the legs. Alpha stimulating eye-drops, prescribed for his glaucoma, were at the origin of these problems. On withdrawal of the latter, the symptoms regressed.

Diagnosis of an iatrogenic pathology was made after 3 months of medical explorations. The delay in diagnosis was prolonged because the patient had not mentioned the use of an active ingredient, since it was in the form of eye-drops.

The search for drug-induced causes must be systematic when faced with any unexplained symptom and must include all the active ingredients, whatever their form of administration.