Retinal Toxicity in Users of “Poppers”
Authors: Claudia Schulze-Döbold
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2012)

Letters1 May 2012Retinal Toxicity in Users of "Poppers"Claudia Schulze-Döbold, MD, Marc Ben Denoun, MD, Bénédicte Dupas, MD, Michel Paques, MD, PhD, and Pascale Massin, MD, PhDClaudia Schulze-Döbold, MDFrom Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France; Clinical Investigation Center 503, Quinze-Vingts Hospital, 75010 Paris, France; and Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France., Marc Ben Denoun, MDFrom Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France; Clinical Investigation Center 503, Quinze-Vingts Hospital, 75010 Paris, France; and Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France., Bénédicte Dupas, MDFrom Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France; Clinical Investigation Center 503, Quinze-Vingts Hospital, 75010 Paris, France; and Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France., Michel Paques, MD, PhDFrom Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France; Clinical Investigation Center 503, Quinze-Vingts Hospital, 75010 Paris, France; and Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France., and Pascale Massin, MD, PhDFrom Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France; Clinical Investigation Center 503, Quinze-Vingts Hospital, 75010 Paris, France; and Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-156-9-201205010-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: "Poppers" refers to a recreational drug that contains alkyl nitrites. The drug causes a specific maculopathy that is characterized by a faint central yellow spot on fundus photography and disruption of outer segments in central photoreceptors that can be detected with optical coherence tomography (1–3).Objective: To estimate the prevalence, severity, and predisposing factors of this maculopathy, given the known high and increasing frequency of nitrite inhalant use among teenagers and men who have sex with men (4, 5). For example, 2.4% of teenagers in France used nitrite inhalants at least once in 2000 versus 13.7% in 2008 (5).... References1. Pece A, Patelli F, Milani P, Pierro L. Transient visual loss after amyl isobutyl nitrite abuse. Semin Ophthalmol. 2004;19:105-6. [PMID: 15590547] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Vignal-Clermont C, Audo I, Sahel JA, Paques M. Poppers-associated retinal toxicity [Letter]. N Engl J Med. 2010;363:1583-5. [PMID: 20942681] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Audo I, El Sanharawi M, Vignal-Clermont C, Villa A, Morin A, Conrath J, et al. Foveal damage in habitual poppers users. Arch Ophthalmol. 2011;129:703-8. [PMID: 21320953] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Romanelli F, Smith KM, Thornton AC, Pomeroy C. Poppers: epidemiology and clinical management of inhaled nitrite abuse. Pharmacotherapy. 2004;24:69-78. [PMID: 14740789] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Legleye S, Spilka S, Le Nézet O, Laffiteau C. Les drogues à 17 ans. Résultats de l'enquête ESCAPAD 2008. Observatoire français des drogues et des toxicomanies. June 2009. Accessed at www.ofdt.fr/BDD/publications/docs/eftxstp6.pdf on 4 April 2012. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Claudia Schulze-Döbold, MD; Marc Ben Denoun, MD; Bénédicte Dupas, MD; Michel Paques, MD, PhD; Pascale Massin, MD, PhDAffiliations: From Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France; Clinical Investigation Center 503, Quinze-Vingts Hospital, 75010 Paris, France; and Paris Diderot University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Lariboisère, 75010 Paris, France.Disclosures: Dr. Massin: Board membership and consultancy: Allergan, Novartis, Sanofi; Grants/grants pending: Alcon, Allergan, Novartis, Topcon; Travel/accommodations/meeting expenses unrelated to activities listed: Novartis. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byPoppers maculopathy: A quantitative review of previous literaturePoppers maculopathy (case study)POPPER MACULOPATHY: LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AND CASE SERIESPoppers: legal highs with questionable contents? A case series of poppers maculopathy 1 May 2012Volume 156, Issue 9Page: 670-672KeywordsAdolescentsDrug usersDrugsMaculopathyNitric oxideOptical coherence tomographyPhotographyQuestionnairesToxicityVisual acuity ePublished: 1 May 2012 Issue Published: 1 May 2012 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2012 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...