1 Departments of Pediatrics, Ophthalmology, and Medicine, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California
A 2
-year-old boy developed optic atrophy during an 11-month course of diiodohydroxyquin (Diodoquin) administration. This drug is currently used for several diarrheal conditions. Iodochlorhydroxyquin (Vioform), a congener of Diodoquin, has recently been implicated as the cause of subacute myelo-optic neuropathy (SMON). Attention is drawn to the possible neurotoxic and retinotoxic effects of Diodoquin. Current recommendations concerning the use of halogenated hydroxyquinolines should be reevaluated in light of these data.