Chloroquine related complete heart block with blindness: case report

A 27-year old African woman with history of regular chloroquine ingestion presented with progressive deterioration of vision, easy fatiguability, dyspnoea, dizziness progressing to syncopal attacks. Ophthalmological assessment revealed features of chloroquine retinopathy, cardiac assessment revealed features of heart failure and a complete heart block with right bundle branch block pattern. The heart block was treated by pacemaker insertion and the heart failure resolved spontaneously following chloroquine discontinuation. She however remains blind.