Eye disorders in patients with chronic alcoholism

Aim. To study the features of ophthalmic disorders in patients with chronic alcoholism. Methods. Sixty patients (120 eyes) with chronic alcoholism (the main group), including 20 people (40 eyes) with the first stage, and 40 people (80 eyes) with the second stage of chronic alcoholism. Control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 46 years. All patients underwent ophthalmologic examination, which included visual acuity test, refractometry, biomicroscopy, biomicroophthalmoscopy, visual field test using chromatic and achromatic colors, color vision test using the tables by E.B. Rabkin (1972), tonometry, flicker fusion rate, and bulbar conjunctiva microcirculation examination. Results. In patients of the control group, eye condition complied with a person’s age, a few changes of the conjunctiva microcirculation were revealed, perivascular changes index was assessed as 1.26±0.05 points, vascular changes index - 1.2±0.05 points, capillary changes index - 1.28±0.05 points, intravascular changes index - 2.3±0.05 points, total conjunctival index - 5±0.13 points. Patients with chronic alcoholism showed reduction of central vision in 26% of cases; white color perception visual field decrease - in 80% of cases, red color - in 40%, green - in 13% of cases. Color perception change was an acquired one in 88% of cases, inherited - in 22% of cases; unilateral reduction of visual flicker fusion rate to red light was observed in 35% of cases, bilateral decrease - in 23% of cases. All patients with chronic alcoholism had bulbar conjunctiva microcirculation disorders: perivascular changes index was assessed as 3.48±0.06 points, vascular changes index - 11.25±0.32 points, capillary changes index - 10.51±0.06 points, intravascular changes index - 2.36±0.06 points, total conjunctival index - 27.61±0.48 points. Conclusion. Alcohol intoxication causes profound pathological changes in the eye seen as visual field decrease, color vision disorders, reduced flicker fusion rate, presence of perivascular, intravascular and vascular disorders of bulbar conjunctiva microvasculature, which should be considered at main process monitoring and choosing the appropriate treatment.