Amiodarone induced cornea verticillata

Among 30 patients (17 men, 46-76 years and 13 women, 15-70 years), treated with the antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone, 21 patients (11 men and 10 women) developed bilateral cornea verticillata. Total doses up to 494 g had been given and the duration of therapy was up to 113 weeks. In 14 patients samples of 50 microliters tear fluid were analyzed for aminodarone. No amiodarone was present in the tears at low serum concentrations but a rapid increase in tear concentrations was seen at serum values above 1.2 micrograms/ml (P less than 0.001). The grade of cornea verticillata was significantly correlated to total dose as well as to duration of treatment (P less than or equal to 0.001). On the day of examination at the eye clinic there was no significant correlation between se-amiodarone, tear-amiodarone concentration and the grade of cornea verticillata. One patient complained of coloured haloes. None had decreased visual acuity, fundus changes, cataract, exophthalmus, increased intraocular pressure, abnormal colour vision, or abnormal central corneal thickness, which could be attributed to the treatment of amiodarone.