Sight-threatening optic neuropathy is associated with paranasal lymphoma

• Main Authors: Takahiko Hayashi, Ken Watanabe, Yukio Tsuura, et al
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2010-03-01
• Series: Clinical Ophthalmology
• Online Access: http://www.dovepress.com/sight-threatening-optic-neuropathy-is-associated-with-paranasal-lympho-a4054
• ISSN: 1177-5467; 1177-5483

Takahiko Hayashi1, Ken Watanabe2, Yukio Tsuura3, Gengo Tsuji4, Shingo Koyama4, Jun Yoshigi4, Naoko Hirata1, Shin Yamane1, Yasuhito Iizima5, Shigeo Toyota6, Satoshi Takeuchi11Department of Ophthalmology, Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Japan; 2Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan; 3Department of Pathology, Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Japan; 4Department of Radiology, Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Japan; 5Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University, Japan; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, JapanAbstract: Malignant lymphoma around the orbit is very rare. We present a rare case of optic neuropathy caused by lymphoma. A 61-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital for evaluation of idiopathic optic neuropathy affecting her right eye. The patient was treated with steroid pulse therapy (methyl-predonisolone 1 g daily for 3 days) with a presumed diagnosis of idiopathic optic neuritis. After she had been switched to oral steroid therapy, endoscopic sinus surgery had been performed, which revealed diffuse large B cell lymphoma of the ethmoidal sinus. Although R-CHOP therapy was immediately started, prolonged optic nerve compression resulted in irreversible blindness. Accordingly, patients with suspected idiopathic optic neuritis should be carefully assessed when they show a poor response, and imaging of the orbits and brain should always be done for initial diagnosis because they may have compression by a tumor.Keywords: optic neuropathy, malignant lymphoma, paranasal lymphoma, rhinogenic optic neuropathy