Anterior optic neuropathy associated with adalimumab

Abstract

Purpose: Our purpose was to report a case of anterior optic neuropathy with pupillary edema in a patient treated with the TNF-α-antagonist adalimumab. Methods: We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with optic neuropathy in 1 eye after 6 months of treatment with adalimumab. Results: The patient developed decreased visual acuity of the left eye. The ocular findings were left optic disc swelling and bleeding at the rim, superior visual field depression in both eyes and left afferent pupillary defect. Adalimumab was discontinued and the visual acuity recovered slowly. Conclusions: Like infliximab, the modern TNF-α antagonist adalimumab is associated with optic neuropathy. Ophthalmologists should thus be alert when seeing patients treated with adalimumab. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG.