Recovery of visual field constriction following discontinuation of vigabatrin

Epilepsy patients treated with vigabatrin may develop symptomatic or asympt omatic concentric visual field constriction due to GABA-associated retinal dysfunction. The prevalence and course of this side effect are not establis hed yet; in previously reported adult patients the visual disturbances seem to be irreversible. We present two patients with a significant improvement of visual field constriction and retinal function after the discontinuatio n of vigabatrin. These findings suggest that vigabatrin-associated retinal changes are at least partly reversible in some patients, and that these pat ients may benefit significantly from a withdrawal of vigabatrin. Larger sca le clinical studies are needed to identify predictive factors both for the occurrence and reversibility of vigabatrin-associated visual field defects. (C) 2000 BEA Trading Ltd.