Side effects associated with HCQ
Overall, side effects associated with HCQ were reported in 6 patients,
with 14.2% incidence among those receiving HCQ therapy. The
characteristics of the 6 patients are shown in Table 4. Three patients
(7.1%) suffered from retinopathy. Two patients (4.8%) suffered from
cutaneous side effects, including cutaneous pigmentation and the
depigmentation of skin. One patient (2.4%) had transient elevated liver
enzymes. Four of six patients have been treated with HCQ for more than 2
years. All patients stopped HCQ when side effects presented. After the
discontinuation of HCQ, side effects in 3 patients disappeared, whereas
side effects in 2 patients were unchanged. One patient had no
ophthalmologic monitoring after the discontinuation of HCQ.