Uveoretinal Adverse Effects Presented during Systemic Anticancer Chemotherapy: a 10-Year Single Center Experience

Abstract

BackgroundThe present study describes our 10-year experience with uveoretinal adverse events that manifest because of chemotherapy.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed for all patients who presented to the ophthalmologic department while undergoing systemic chemotherapy between July 2005 and June 2015.ResultsA total of 55 patients (mean age, 51.2 years, 38 women [69.1%]) suspected of having uveoretinal disease owing to the use of chemotherapeutic agents alone were enrolled. Breast cancer was the predominant disease (36.4%); noninfectious anterior uveitis (21.8%) was the most common condition. Bilateral involvement was observed in 16 patients (29.1%). Although cisplatin (21.8%) was the most commonly used drug, daunorubicin, cytarabine, tamoxifen, toremifene, and imatinib were also frequently used. The median duration until ophthalmologic diagnosis was 208.5 days (range, 19–5,945 days). The proportion of patients with final visual acuity (VA) < 20/40 Snellen VA (0.5 decimal VA) was 32.7%. However, no relationship was observed between final VA < 20/40 and age, sex, therapeutic agents, and metastasis.ConclusionUveoretinal complications were mostly mild to moderate and exhibited a favorable response to conservative therapy. A considerable number of patients exhibited significant irreversible loss of vision after cessation of the causative chemotherapeutic agent. Ophthalmological monitoring is required during chemotherapy.

Bilateral intermediate uveitis following treatment with paclitaxel in a patient with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast

“…Their patient developed significant bilateral CME, which our patient did not have [ 14 ]. CME appears to be the most common retinal complication of both paclitaxel and docetaxel, despite occurring at a very low rate amongst treated patients [ 15 ]. It is often bilateral, and can be angiographically silent [ 10 , 16 – 18 ].…”