Retinopathy aociated with high-doe interferon alfa-2b therapy

PURPOE: To preent even patient who developed retinopathy while receiving high-doe interferon alfa-2b therapy for adjuvant treatment of high-rik melanoma. METHOD: Retropective cae erie. REULT: even patient developed a retinopathy while receiving high-doe interferon alfa-2b therapy for adjuvant treatment of high-rik melanoma. Five patient had normal viual acuity, but retinopathy with cotton- wool pot and/or retinal hemorrhage with the retinopathy reolved after topping treatment after detection. Two patient developed evere retinopathy with viion lo to counting finger and hand motion without reolution of the retinopathy. The duration of the maintenance treatment before detection of the retinopathy for all patient ranged from 6 to 26 week. The total doe received at time of detection of retinopathy ranged from 816 to 1770 million unit. Confounding factor included hypertenion, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and a hitory of prior chemotherapy in one patient. Alo, one patient received an invetigational ganglioide vaccine, one had a hitory of radiation treatment to the brain, and ix received paroxetine. CONCLUION: Patient receiving interferon alfa-2b are at rik for developing an aociated retinopathy. The rik appear to be greater with higher doage therapy. In addition, evere viion lo can be een with interferon alfa-2b–aociated retinopathy. The effect of treatment with elective erotonin reuptake inhibitor, uch a paroxetine, in increaing the incidence of thi complication i unknown. Patient need to be monitored until the retinopathy i reolved to creen for equelae, including retinal neovacularization