A Case of the Blue Blues: The Safety Issue of Recognizing and Avoiding the Retinal Toxicity of Methylene Blue Compared to Brilliant Blue and Trypan Blue

Authors

Sidra Zafar, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Jose S. Pulido, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Samir N. Patel, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Jordan D. Deaner, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-5-2025

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in International Journal of Retina and Vitreous, Volume 11, Issue 1, December 2025, Article Number 136.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40942-025-00759-1. Copyright © The Author(s) 2025.

Abstract

While blue vital dyes remain indispensable in ophthalmic surgery, medication errors, particularly the inadvertent use of methylene blue instead of trypan blue and brilliant blue, pose a significant risk to patient safety. Methylene blue has been reported to cause damage to anterior segment structures, We reported a case of inner retinal toxicity from injection of methylene blue into the vitreous cavity resulting in profound vision loss. Standardization, vigilant verification, and safer packaging are critical to preventing these never events.

Recommended Citation

Zafar, Sidra; Pulido, Jose S.; Patel, Samir N.; Yonekawa, Yoshihiro; and Deaner, Jordan D., "A Case of the Blue Blues: The Safety Issue of Recognizing and Avoiding the Retinal Toxicity of Methylene Blue Compared to Brilliant Blue and Trypan Blue" (2025). Wills Eye Hospital Papers. Paper 280.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/willsfp/280

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

PubMed ID

41350903

Language

English