[Ocular side effects of beta-pyridylcarbinol]

Derivatives of nicotinic acid such as beta-pyridylcarbinol play an important role in the therapy of lipoprotein disorders. In 1973, J.D. Gass reported the development of cystoid macular edema provoking metamorphosia during the course of nicotinic acid treatment. The aim of this study was to determine subtle changes in ocular function induced by beta-pyridylcarbinol. We investigated 16 patients prior to and after 6 months of beta-pyridylcarbinol treatment and compared the results of clinical and color vision tests in 9 patients after 2-25 years of continuous beta-pyridylcarbinol treatment. After 6 months, significant blue-yellow color vision changes (total error scores within normal ranges) were detected by the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue tests in all patients. One patient demonstrated macular edema. Fluorescein angiography, however, showed no evidence of fluorescein leakage. Beta-pyridylcarbinol treatment lasting for years led to diffuse color vision disturbances (total error score = 195). To the best of our knowledge neither macular edema nor color vision disturbances following beta-pyridylcarbinol treatment have been reported so far.