Abstract
A 62-year-old male treated with pegylated interferon α-2b plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C complained of sudden painless decreased visual acuity. This patient was diagnosed as having simultaneous occlusions of the branch retinal artery and central retinal vein, although he had no history of major risk factors for retinal vessel (artery and vein) occlusion. Unfortunately, visual acuity did not completely recover. Furthermore, the patient was heterozygous for interleukin (IL) 28B genetic polymorphisms. The etiology of interferon-associated retinal vessel occlusion is not yet clear. However, a review based on previous case reports suggested that some factors including ribavirin might act as a risk or cause of retinal vessel occlusion.
MeSH terms
-
Adult
-
Hepatitis C, Chronic / drug therapy*
-
Humans
-
Interferon alpha-2
-
Interferon-alpha / adverse effects*
-
Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use
-
Interferons
-
Interleukins / genetics
-
Male
-
Middle Aged
-
Polyethylene Glycols / adverse effects*
-
Polyethylene Glycols / therapeutic use
-
Polymorphism, Genetic
-
Recombinant Proteins / adverse effects
-
Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use
-
Retinal Artery Occlusion / chemically induced*
-
Retinal Artery Occlusion / physiopathology
-
Retinal Vein Occlusion / chemically induced*
-
Retinal Vein Occlusion / physiopathology
-
Ribavirin / adverse effects*
-
Ribavirin / therapeutic use
-
Visual Acuity
Substances
-
interferon-lambda, human
-
Interferon alpha-2
-
Interferon-alpha
-
Interleukins
-
Recombinant Proteins
-
Polyethylene Glycols
-
Ribavirin
-
Interferons
-
peginterferon alfa-2b