Donnie Rhett Koonce is a North Carolina professional who is an ophthalmic technician. In 2019 Donnie Rhett Koonce co-authored a paper on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinopathy presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology conference.
HCQ retinopathy is a rare side effect of hydroxychloroquine exposure. It can cause permanent vision loss. Early symptoms of HCQ retinopathy include central blurriness and loss of contrast, flashing lights in the center of vision, and difficulty reading.
Originally developed as an anti-malarial, HCQ is a relatively common drug for treating dermatologic and inflammatory autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.
With approximately 150,000 patients undergoing chronic HCQ therapy in the United States, the positive news is that rates of HCQ retinopathy are extremely low; the incidence of retinal toxicity after five years of therapy is 0.5 percent. One concern is that HCQ retinopathy is typically asymptomatic throughout its early stages and does not impact vision. For this reason, clinical exams are typically supplemented by multimodal imaging.
After documentation of HCQ retinopathy, its essential to discontinue drug regimens with hydroxychloroquine in them. Even with this step taken, HCQ retinopathy can progress, and the etiology of the process is still not well understood.
