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Choroidal detachment following the use of tamsulosin (Flomax)
Brett L Shapiro1, Velimir Petrovic, Scott E Lee
1University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California 94143-0730, USA.
Purpose:
To report choroidal detachment following tamsulosin (Flomax, an alpha(1A)-adrenoceptor antagonist) treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Design:
Case report.
Methods:
Chart review, serial examination.
Results:
A 65-year-old man underwent uncomplicated cataract extraction and placement of a posterior chamber intraocular lens. The patient subsequently developed three separate episodes of choroidal detachments in the operated eye. Each episode was preceded by treatment with an alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist.
Conclusions:
Tamsulosin may cause adverse ocular effects including recurrent choroidal detachments. alpha(1A) is the dominant alpha-adrenoceptor in the rabbit choroid, and the mechanism for choroidal detachment in this patient could include some effect of antagonists like tamsulosin on these receptors.
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