Age-Related Macular Degeneration Masquerade: A Review of Pentosan Polysulfate Maculopathy and Implications for...

Pentosan polysulfate (PPS) sodium (Elmiron) is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved oral medication to treat interstitial cystitis, also known as bladder pain syndrome. A symptomatic pigmentary maculopathy associated with PPS was reported in 2018. Since then, recognition of this unique drug toxicity has increased rapidly. This potentially sight-threatening side effect prompted the FDA in June 2020 to update the label for PPS to warn about "retinal pigmentary changes." A challenging feature of pentosan maculopathy is its ability to mimic many other retinal conditions, including inherited retinal dystrophies such as pattern dystrophy, mitochondrially inherited diabetes and deafness, and Stargardt disease, and age-related macular degeneration. In this review, we discuss the history of PPS maculopathy and its implications for thousands of at-risk interstitial cystitis patients. We use published literature and an illustrative case from our institution to highlight the importance of diagnosing PPS maculopathy. We also compare PPS maculopathy to age-related macular degeneration, explain why differentiating between the 2 is clinically important, and highlight avenues for further research. Finally, we highlight the paucity of data on patients of color and why this lack of understanding may impact patient care.