Bilateral cataract after taking oxcarbazepine

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of bilateral posterior subcapsular cataract after taking oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®, Novartis, Basel, Swiss). Case summary: A 19-year-old female visited our clinic with decreased vision in both eyes. Her best-corrected visual acuity was 0.3 in the right eye and 0.5 in the left eye, and slit-lamp examination revealed a bilateral cortical opacity and subcapsular cataract. She had been taking oxcarbazepine for epilepsy for 10 years, which was discontinued 3 years ago. Her mother had undergone cataract surgeries when she was approximately 46 years of age. No other risk factors for cataract were present. Conclusions: In the present case, bilateral cortical opacity and subcapsular cataract were assumed to be associated with the use of oxcarbazepine. We suggest that oxcarbazepine could induce a cataract and recommend a regular follow-up by a qualified ophthalmologist. © 2019 The Korean Ophthalmological Society.