Reactions 411 - 25 Jul 1992

SAntineoplastics

Acceleration of retinitis pigmentosa: case reportA 53-year-old man who had been deaf and mute since birth

developed retinitis pigmentosa and became blind following 8courses of therapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin,vincristine and prednisone over 6 months for lymphoma.

The patient appeared to have normal vision at the start oftreatment but was blind 4 months after completing treatment.

Author comment: The retinitis pigmentosa was thought tobe related to Usher’s syndrome, a condition associated withsensorineural deafness at birth, and not to the patient’s cancer.However, the rapid deterioration in vision seen in this patientis unusual in Usher’s syndrome. ’The use of DNA-damagingcytotoxic chemotherapy may have accelerated RP retinitispigmentosa in our patient.’Blanchet P, et al. Case report: retinitis pigmentosa following cytotoxicchemotherapy in Usher’s syndrome. American Journal of the Medical Sciences303: 319-320, May 1992 - USA 800142681

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Reactions 25 Jul 1992 No. 4110114-9954/10/0411-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved