Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.48(12) > 1007998

Bang, Yang, Rho, and Chang: A Case of Toxic Amblyopia Caused by Methanol Intoxication

Abstract

Purpose

To report a case of visual improvement in methanol poisoning treated with intravenous methylprednisolone.

Case summary

A 64-year-old man presented with decreasing vision in both eyes after ingesting a car window cleanser. His initial visual acuity was the ability to count fingers in the right eye and hand motion in the left eye. The patient received intravenous methylprednisolone (1.0 gram), slowly over 1 hour. The same dose of methyl prednisolone was repeated on the second and third day. Then, oral prednisolone was given and tapered over a period of 7 weeks. On the 5th day after treatment, there was an improvement in the visual acuity of the right eye to 0.4 but no improvement of vision was observed in the left eye. On 16th day after treatment, the visual acuity was 0.7 in the right eye and counting fingers in the left eye. At 2 months after ingestion, the visual acuity of the right eye returned to 1.0 with no improvement in the left eye. Optic disc pallor was suspected and P100 delay was observed in the left eye with VEP showing a favorable outcome in the right eye.

Conclusions

A visual improvement of 1 eye was observed in methanol poisoning treated with intravenous methylprednisolone.

References

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Figure 1.
At the 4th day after intoxication, the VEP showed no definite P100 delay but amplitude decreased significantly in both eyes.
jkos-48-1731f1.tif
Figure 2.
At the 8th day after methylprednisolone treatment, the amplitude of VEP improved in the right eye. But no recovery was noted in the left eye. No P100 delay was noted in both eyes.
jkos-48-1731f2.tif
Figure 3.
At the 2nd month after methylprednisolone treatment, the VEP was normalized in the right eye. But P100 delay and low amplitude was noted in the left eye.
jkos-48-1731f3.tif
Figure 4.
At the 2nd month after methylprednisolone treatment, the disc of the right eye had no definite abnormality. But the disc of the left eye showed slight pallor.
jkos-48-1731f4.tif
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