Massive bilateral choroidal detachment induced by administration of topiramate

Topiramate is a sulfa-derivative antiepileptic drug which is also used for other indications such as essential tremor. A 79-year-old male was admitted to our center due to acute bilateral painless decline of vision. One month before admission, he had experienced essential tremor and treatment with topiramate 50 mg/day and propranolol 40 mg/day. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/800 OD and 20/600 OS. Both eyes had normal anterior chamber depths and irides. Intraocular pressure was 10 mm Hg in the right eye and 11 mm Hg in the left eye. Retinal examination showed notable choroidal detachments in all quadrants of the periphery, which were confirmed by ultrasonography. Refraction showed no myopic shift. The administration of topiramate was discontinued as a potential causative agent for this condition. During follow-up, choroidal detachment and visual acuity gradually resolved. In this study, we described the first case of isolated massive choroidal detachment induced by topiramate.