Retinal haemorrhage caused by “ecstasy”

There was no evidence clinically or angiographically of choroidal neovascularisation. comment Ecstasy is known to cause hypertension, 1 ventricular fibrillation, 1 tachycardia, hyper pyrexia, 2 and intracerebral haemorrhage. 3 The positive chronotropic effects and hypertension are caused by stimulat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of ophthalmology 1998-07, Vol.82 (7), p.841-841b
Main Authors: JACKS, ANDREW S, HYKIN, PHILIP G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Blood pressure
Ecstasy
Female
Hallucinogens - adverse effects
Humans
Hypertension
Letters to the Editor
N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine - adverse effects
Retinal Hemorrhage - chemically induced
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Summary:There was no evidence clinically or angiographically of choroidal neovascularisation. comment Ecstasy is known to cause hypertension, 1 ventricular fibrillation, 1 tachycardia, hyper pyrexia, 2 and intracerebral haemorrhage. 3 The positive chronotropic effects and hypertension are caused by stimulating noradrenaline release from sympathetic nerve endings. A sudden rise in blood pressure could have caused a retinal haemorrhage in a similar fashion to the intracerebral haemorrhage. 3 Methamphetamine and cocaine are known to cause retinal haemorrhage when taken nasally. 4 It is known that there is a rich supply of autonomic and vasoactive nerves in the choroid but not in the retina. 5 This makes the retinal circulation vulnerable to sudden changes in the blood pressure, which may have been important in this patient.
ISSN:0007-1161
1468-2079
DOI:10.1136/bjo.82.7.841b