Ophthalmological examination of patients taking chloroquine

EOGs have been routinely measured once a year in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with chloroquine derivatives. Criterion for the advice to stop the treatment was a decrease in the EOG of more than 20% of the value obtained before treatment was started or, where this value had not been determined, a decrease in the EOG to below 1.85, i.e. the Arden criterion. Evaluating the results, it appears that in RA patients, examined once a year, the variability of the EOG is approximately 30% of the value obtained. Furthermore, instead of a lower limit for the normal value of 1.85, we found in the rheumatism group 1.6. If these new criteria were to be applied, less than 4% of the patients would be advised to stop chloroquine treatment. We wounder whether check-ups of these patients remain necessary when dosage of chloroquine or its equivalent is below 75 g per year.