Bilateral retrobulbar optic neuropathy in the setting of interferon alpha-2a therapy.

Download
Author
Fuzzard, DRW; Mack, HG; Symons, RCADate
2014-05Source Title
Case Reports in OphthalmologyPublisher
S. Karger AGAffiliation
Surgery (RMH)Ophthalmology (Eye & Ear Hospital)
Metadata
Show full item recordDocument Type
Journal ArticleCitations
Fuzzard, D. R. W., Mack, H. G. & Symons, R. C. A. (2014). Bilateral retrobulbar optic neuropathy in the setting of interferon alpha-2a therapy.. Case Rep Ophthalmol, 5 (2), pp.270-276. https://doi.org/10.1159/000366407.Access Status
Open AccessOpen Access at PMC
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4176402Abstract
The development of biopharmaceutical agents, including the interferons (IFN), offers new treatment options for a wide range of medical conditions. Such advancements, however, have not come without risk to patients. Optic neuropathy in the setting of IFN therapy has been previously documented and is usually attributed to anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy; however, the pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Retrobulbar optic neuropathy associated with IFN treatment has not been described in the medical literature to date. We report the case of a 38-year-old Caucasian female with refractory acute myeloid leukaemia who developed painless bilateral blurred vision within 2 weeks of commencing a course of IFN alpha-2a. Extensive clinical workup demonstrated bilateral retrobulbar optic neuropathy. We report the clinical evaluation of this first documented case and discuss the possible aetiologies of her presentation.
Export Reference in RIS Format
Endnote
- Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format" and choose "open with... Endnote".
Refworks
- Click on "Export Reference in RIS Format". Login to Refworks, go to References => Import References