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Bull's-eye maculopathy secondary to herbal toxicity from uva ursi
Lillian Wang1, Lucian V Del Priore
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY USA.
Purpose:
To report a case of bilateral bull's-eye maculopathy in a patient who ingested uva ursi, a known inhibitor of melanin synthesis, for 3 years before the onset of symptoms.
Design:
Observational case report.
Methods:
Both eyes of a female patient were examined in the clinical practice setting.
Results:
A 56-year-old woman who ingested uva ursi for 3 years noted a decrease in visual acuity within the past year. Ocular examination including fluorescein angiography revealed a typical bull's-eye maculopathy bilaterally.
Conclusions:
Uva ursi is a known inhibitor of melanin synthesis. It is necessary to broaden the list of potential retinal toxic drugs to include herbal adjuvants such as Uva Ursi and to elicit a history of their use in patients with unexplained ocular findings.
