Recovery of outer retinal laminations on optical coherence tomography after treatment of cancer associated retinopathy.

PubMed ID: 29260107

Author(s): Irizarry FJ, Kopplin LJ, Salek SS, Adamus G, Saleh M, Biggee K, Lin P, Rosenbaum JT. Recovery of outer retinal laminations on optical coherence tomography after treatment of cancer associated retinopathy. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2017 Sep 1;8:11-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2017.08.001. eCollection 2017 Dec. PMID 29260107

Journal: American Journal Of Ophthalmology Case Reports, Volume 8, Dec 2017

PURPOSE To report novel optical coherence tomography findings in a case of anti-α-enolase cancer associated retinopathy.

OBSERVATIONS An elderly female presented with bilateral decreased vision and a recent diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma. Optical coherence tomography demonstrated bilateral loss of outer retinal structures and macular edema. Serum testing found antibodies against α-enolase and 82-84 kDa proteins. Outer retinal structures showed recovery, macular edema resolved and repeat anti-retinal antibody testing became negative following cancer therapy and topical difluprednate treatment.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE Cancer associated retinopathy is a paraneoplastic disease that results in damage to retinal structures through an autoimmune response. The damage is generally considered to be irreversible; however, in rare cases, such as observed here, retinal structures may demonstrate recovery after treatment.