Crystalline Retinopathy Following Intravitreal Clindamycin.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Ocular toxoplasmosis is a common intraocular infection.
• Treatment options for ocular toxoplasmosis can be limited in patients with sulfa allergies.
• Intravitreal clindamycin is an alternative treatment for ocular toxoplasmosis.

Observation:

• A 74-year-old woman with ocular toxoplasmosis and a sulfa allergy received intravitreal clindamycin.
• Following treatment, the patient developed fine, refractile, yellow-white crystals in the macula of the affected eye.
• Optical coherence tomography confirmed crystal deposition in the posterior hyaloid.

Findings:

• Intravitreal clindamycin administration led to the development of crystalline retinopathy.
• The crystals were localized to the posterior hyaloid layer.
• This represents a rare adverse effect of intravitreal clindamycin therapy.

Implications:

• Intravitreal clindamycin should be considered in the differential diagnosis of crystalline retinopathy.
• Clinicians should be aware of this potential complication when prescribing intravitreal clindamycin.
• Further investigation may be warranted to understand the mechanism of clindamycin-induced crystalline retinopathy.