Although the annual retinopathy screening rate in patients with lupus receiving hydroxychloroquine has increased from 3.5% in 2006 to 22.5% in 2019, more work is needed to raise awareness, according to data from a South Korean study.
“Although [hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)] has remained the treatment option for SLE for over half a century, the prevalence of retinopathy, a rare but serious adverse event, has been reported,” Jae-Eun Lee, of the College of Pharmacy at Chung-Ang University, in Seoul, and colleagues wrote. “To reduce the retinal toxicity of HCQ, the American Academy