Interferon-induced retinopathy in asymptomatic cancer patients
Section snippets
Patient 1
A 67-year-old man, previously diagnosed with stage IV low-grade lymphoma, was seen by an optometrist for a routine eye examination without any visual or ocular complaints. He had completed eight cycles of chemotherapy followed by interferon maintenance therapy, 3.0 × 106 U/m2, 3 days per week. His interferon therapy began approximately 3 months before the examination by the optometrist. An evaluation of the fundus by the optometrist suggested an abnormality in the left eye. The patient was
Discussion
We report three cases of ischemic retinopathy secondary to interferon in asymptomatic cancer patients. Although the visual outcome in all three patients was good, these cases underscore the importance of careful funduscopic screening examinations for patients taking high-dose interferon. The fact that IFN retinopathy was diagnosed based on an incidental observation during a routine eye examination in two patients, and was triggered by a “migraine-like” episode that seemed unrelated and had
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