Objectives: To describe ocular disease in 3 patients with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) and to identify the frequency of such ocular involvement.
Methods: Medical record reviews. Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, we calculated the frequency of ocular involvement among pediatric patients with systemic PTLD after liver transplantation.
Results: Each patient had bilateral anterior chamber cells. Biopsy of an iris nodule from a patient who had undergone cardiac transplantation confirmed the diagnosis of PTLD, but no signs of systemic PTLD were found. The other 2 patients had systemic PTLD after liver transplantation; 1 presented with iris nodules in both eyes and a subretinal mass in the left eye, while the other had bilateral anterior chamber cells only. Ocular signs improved slowly after reduction of immunosuppressive drug therapy. Ophthalmological examinations were performed on 22 of 25 pediatric patients with PTLD after liver transplantation; 2 had ocular disease. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a 20% risk of ocular involvement at 3 years after development of PTLD (95% confidence intervals, 0%-50%).
Conclusions: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder should be considered in the differential diagnosis of uveitis after organ transplantation. Anterior chamber cells and iris nodules are the most common ocular signs, but the posterior segment can be involved. Ocular involvement can occur without evidence of systemic disease and can be asymptomatic. Reduction of immunosuppressive drug therapy is an appropriate treatment.