Visual recovery after radiation therapy for bilateral subfoveal acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

• Published in: American journal of ophthalmology 2004-10, Vol.138 (4), p.659-662
• Main Authors: Finger, Paul T., Pro, Michael J., Schneider, Susan, Kurli, Madhavi, Shapira, Ilan, Hu, Kenneth
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow; Chemotherapy; Diseases of the eye; Fluorescein Angiography; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Leukemia; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - physiopathology; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - radiotherapy; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Male; Medical sciences; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Recovery of Function - physiology; Retinal Neoplasms - physiopathology; Retinal Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Tumors; Visual Acuity - physiology
• ISSN: 0002-9394; 1879-1891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2004.04.047

Present a case of bilateral foveal acute myelogenous leukemic tumors that responded to radiation therapy. Case report. A patient was diagnosed with bilateral subfoveal infiltration of known systemic acute myelogenous leukemia. He received a standard induction chemotherapy, followed by consolidation therapy for his systemic leukemia. However, despite a complete marrow response, the intraocular tumors did not regress. Therefore, he was given low dose (1950-cGy) ocular external beam radiation therapy. One course of systemic cytarabine chemotherapy failed to control the subfoveal tumors, leaving the patient at risk for permanent vision loss. In contrast, external beam radiation therapy improved his vision from 20/60 in his right eye to 20/20 and from 20/70 in his left eye to 20/25. Although systemic chemotherapy can be used to treat intraocular metastasis, external beam radiation may provide more prompt resolution of vision-threatening tumors.