VORICONAZOLE-RELATED BLURRED AND VISUAL DISTURBANCES IN SEVEN CASES
HABİP GEDİK *
Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Bakırköy Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
OSMAN YOKUŞ
Department of Hematology, Ministry of Health İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Voriconazole, which is a second-generation triazole antifungal drug and potent against especially Aspergillus, Candida, Fusarium and Scedosporium species, may cause hallucination, blurred and visual disturbances during treatment. A total of seven cases, who were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (n: 5), acute lymphocytic leukemia (n: 1), aplastic anemia (n: 1), were reported in terms of hallucination, blurred and visual disturbances that was related to voriconazole therapy that was administered to treat possible or probable invasive fungal infections and disappeared after cessation of it. Plasma concentration of voriconazole should be monitored in cases with those signs and symptoms. Otherwise, antifungal drug should be changed taking into consideration probable fungal pathogens.
Keywords: Voriconazole, blurred, visual disturbance, hallucination, febrile neutropenia, invasive fungal infection