American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports (Dec 2017)

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

  • Francisco J. Irizarry,
  • Laura J. Kopplin,
  • Sherveen S. Salek,
  • Grazyna Adamus,
  • Mohamed Saleh,
  • Kristin Biggee,
  • Phoebe Lin,
  • James T. Rosenbaum

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajoc.2017.08.001
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. C
pp. 11 – 13

Abstract

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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.

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