Acute bilateral retina hemorrhages beneath internal limiting membrane: An unusual ophthalmological case report of acute leukemia during complete clinical remission

Ocular findings in children with acute leukemia at a tertiary care center in South America

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate ophthalmological findings in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in a Latin American population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a single-center, retrospective study. The observational analysis was conducted in AML and ALL patients seen as a routine examination at the department of ophthalmology of tertiary care center in Argentina between March 1, 2017, and February 28, 2018.

RESULTS

Overall, 137 patients with acute leukemia were included. The mean age was 7.9 ± 5.2 years (0-18), and 55% were male (n = 75) and 45% female (n = 45). At least one-fifth (n = 31) of the patients presented some type of ocular manifestation (23%). The most frequently observed manifestation was retinal hemorrhages (n = 14), followed by papilledema (n = 9) and ocular surface involvement (n = 5). The eye involvement was more frequently identified in the AML group (24%), compared to the ALL group (22%), especially papilledema with central nervous system compromise ALL (5%) and AML (11%), P < 0.01. The presence of hemorrhages was similar in both groups. In patients with retinal hemorrhage (n = 14), the mean hematological findings were hemoglobin 7.4 ± 0.4 g/dL (6.5-8.0), erythrocytes 2.5M ± 0.3/mm³ (confidence interval [CI], 2.0-3.1), and platelets 76,000 ± 32,000/mm³ (CI, 8000-384,000). Patients without retinal findings (n = 123), the mean hematological findings were hemoglobin 9.1 ± 0.6 g/dL (8.0-10.2), erythrocytes 3.2M ± 0.6/mm³ (CI, 2.5-3.5), and platelets 92,000 ± 44,000/mm³ (CI, 42.000-390.000). Multivariable analysis found that hemoglobin levels were the most reliable predictive factor for retinal findings. It was observed that the risk diminishes in patients with levels higher than 8.5 g/dL, and that it increased in patients with levels ranging between 6.5 and 7.5 g/dL at least twice (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that ocular involvement occurs in a high percentage of patients with leukemia with a clear clinical, humoral, and sometimes prognostic correlation, suggesting routine ophthalmologic evaluation in these patients.

A Case of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia With Retinal Hemorrhages Beneath Internal Limiting Membrane During Clinical Remission

Leukemia is a systematic cancer of the blood and blood-forming tissues that affects multiple organs. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of leukemia that affects adults. Ophthalmic manifestations of leukemia could be observed in both acute and chronic leukemias. Around 35.4% of leukemia patients present with leukemic retinopathy. In this report, we discuss the case of a patient who was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and went on to develop leukemic retinopathy during chemotherapy. A 35-year-old male was diagnosed with APL and received induction therapy with daunorubicin, and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in a seven + three regimen. During the remission phase, he presented with a complaint of decreased vision of the right eye for about three weeks after the initiation of the therapy. On examination, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was found to be 6/60 in the right eye and 6/6 in the left eye. Fundus examination showed intraretinal hemorrhages in the posterior pole of both eyes. Fundus photography of the right eye showed resolved macular bleeding, temporal retinal bleeding, fresh inferonasal, and supraoptic retinal hemorrhage. For the left eye, however, it showed a small hemorrhagic spot temporal to the macula. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed on both eyes, which showed sub-inner limiting membrane (sub-ILM) hemorrhage in the right macula with normal OCT of the left eye. There are multiple reported ocular manifestations of leukemic retinopathy including flame-shaped hemorrhage, cotton wool spots, and Roth spots. In patients with APL, thrombocytopenia and intracranial hemorrhage are the proposed underlying mechanism of retinal hemorrhage. Terson's syndrome, which is an intracranial hemorrhage with associated retinal hemorrhage, has been reported to occur during ATRA induction therapy. Sub-ILM hemorrhage is relatively uncommon, and it has been associated with multiple primary pathologies such as Valsalva retinopathy, Terson's syndrome, and bleeding dyscrasias. Retinal hemorrhage is a serious complication in leukemic patients; it could be the presenting complaint or even manifest after the initiation of therapy. Early detection and frequent follow-ups are crucial for its management.