International Clinical and Medical Case Reports Journal (ISSN: 2832-5788) | Volume 5, Issue 1 | Review Article | Open Access

Importance of Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy Monitoring

Raheel Faiz^*

Raheel Faiz1*, Samer Elsherbiny1

1Ophthalmology Department Warwick Hospital, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust

^*Correspondence to: Raheel Faiz 

Abstract

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a 4-aminoquinoline drug originally developed as an antimalarial and still used for prevention and treatment of malaria.[¹] In modern clinical practice, it is widely used as a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) for the long-term management of inflammatory rheumatological and dermatological conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.[²] While generally well tolerated, HCQ is associated with recognised adverse effects such as hepatotoxicity, cardiomyopathy, and retinal toxicity.[2] Hydroxychloroquine-induced retinopathy is of particular clinical concern because retinal damage is often irreversible and may progress even after treatment cessation.[1,2]

Keywords:

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ); Drug; Malaria

Citation:

Raheel Faiz, Samer Elsherbiny. Importance of Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy Monitoring. Int Clinc Med Case Rep Jour. 2026;5(1):1-3.