Leukostasis retinopathy: An uncommon visual threatening complication of chronic myeloid leukemia with severe hyperleukocytosis – A case report and review of the literature

• Main Authors: Bo Chen, Xiaoqin Yan, Xian Zhang, Hong Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2018-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
• Subjects: Chronic myeloid leukemia; hemorrhagic retinal detachment; leukostasis
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2018;volume=66;issue=12;spage=1871;epage=1874;aulast=Chen
• ISSN: 0301-4738; 1998-3689

To describe a rare case of an unusual visual threatening complication of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). A 21-year-old male visited the hospital complaining of 1-week painless binocular acute visual loss without any other symptoms. The patient was diagnosed with CML. He then received emergent leukapheresis with imatinib treatment, which achieved obvious hematological remission. However, the visual acuity did not recover along with the CML remission and ocular structure relief. CML-related leukostasis could induce severe leukostasis retinopathy. Hematologists and ophthalmologists should pay more attention to this relatively rare and severe complication of CML.