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Ocular findings of oral sildenafil use in term and near-term neonates

Rinat Kehat1, Dean J Bonsall, Robert North

  • 1Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

Journal of AAPOS : the Official Publication of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
|March 5, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Sildenafil use in neonates did not show increased ocular complications. Routine ophthalmologic exams are not necessary for term and near-term infants receiving this medication.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Ophthalmology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, is used for persistent pulmonary hypertension in neonates.
  • Concerns exist regarding potential ocular complications, including exacerbation of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
  • The risk of ocular issues in neonates not otherwise at risk for ROP is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the risk of ocular complications in term and near-term neonates receiving sildenafil.
  • To determine if routine ophthalmologic examinations are warranted for these infants.

Main Methods:

  • A pediatric ophthalmologist evaluated 22 neonates who received oral sildenafil for over two weeks.
  • Infants had a birth gestational age >34 weeks and birth weight >2,100 g.

Main Results:

  • Four patients exhibited ocular findings: bacterial conjunctivitis (2), optic nerve hypoplasia with coloboma and nystagmus (1), and optic disk atrophy with nystagmus following a hypotensive episode (1).
  • These findings were deemed unrelated to sildenafil and improved despite continued drug use.

Conclusions:

  • The study's findings do not support the necessity of routine ophthalmologic examinations for term and near-term neonates treated with sildenafil.
  • Sildenafil use in this population does not appear to necessitate specialized eye screening.
Abstract

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