Furaltadone (Altafur) Diplopia
Loftus and Wagner1 recently reported 2 cases of lateral rectus paresis occurring in patients receiving furaltadone (Altafur) for systemic infections. Symptoms began after the patients had been on this drug for a total of 53 days and 31 days, respectively. Complete clearing occurred within 23 and 12 days after the medication was discontinued. We have encountered a 40-year-old white man who suddenly developed diplopia due to a bilateral lateral rectus paresis on the 33d day of furaltadone therapy for a postoperative wound infection. Because lateral rectus paresis secondary to furaltadone therapy has not been previously reported in the ophthalmologic literature, the following case is presented.
Report of Case
This 40-year-old white man was seen through the courtesy of Dr. Peter Dukes. He was admitted to the Durham Veterans Administration Hospital on April 21, 1960, for treatment of a right fourth lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus. A similar