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The British Journal of Developmental Disabilities Vol. 47, Part 1, january 2001, No. 92, pp. 49-52 VIGABATRIN TREATMENT AND VISUAL PROBLEMS IN A PATIENT WITH LEARNING DISABILITY S. P. Thalayasingam, R. T. Alexander, I. Singh and S. Raheja
Summary Vigabatrin is a valuable drug for many patients with epilepsy. However, its use needs to be evaluated in the context of its overall benefit:risk ratio in comparison with that of other antiepileptic drugs. It must be noted that all antiepileptic drugs pose some risk, as does uncontrolled epilepsy itself. In patients with learning disability, the development of visual symptoms may not be reported and there may be difficulties encountered with visual field testing. Conventional perimetry is seldom possible for patients with a developmental age of less than 9 years and alternative methods for testing visual fields should be used with which there may be poor compliance. Hence, if the use of Vigabatrin is considered for people with learning disability, the benefit:risk ratio should be sufficient to outweigh the lack of reporting of visual symptoms and the impossibility of visual field monitoring.
*S. P. Thalayasingam, MBBS, MRC Psych. R. T. Alexander, MBBS, MRC Psych. Dr. I. Singh, MBBS, MRC Psych., FRC Psych. Dr. S. Raheja, BM., MRC Psych. * For Correspondence |