The effect of hexachlorophene on the optic nerve and visual faculty in Beagle dogs after prolonged dermal application.

In a systemic tolerance study in Beagle dogs the effect of an ointment, containing 1, 3 or 10% hexachlorophene (HCP), applied dermally, on the optic system over a period of 12 weeks was investigated. Besides an irreversible loss of visual faculty during treatment with 3 and 10% HCP, a permanent mydriasis, peripapillary exudations and other alterations of the ocular fundus were observed at the same dose levels, suggesting that HCP has a strong affinity to the optic nervous system in dogs without clear-cut correlations to HCP plasma levels.