Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy in Older Individuals Because of Increased Alcohol Consumption During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Conclusions: Significant increase in substance abuse in the general population during the recent lockdowns to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is well documented. We report 3 patients older than the age of 50, one of them a woman, who developed severe bilateral visual loss due to LHON after doubling their alcohol consumption and increasing number of cigarettes smoked daily during the pandemic. Clinicians are reminded to consider LHON in the differential diagnosis when encountering older patients with bilateral sequential visual loss and to specifically inquire about alcohol use and cigarette smoking in these patients.
Source: Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology - Category: Opthalmology Tags: Original Contribution Source Type: research