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[Electrophysiological studies in breast carcinoma patients with tamoxifen retinopathy]
J Kuchenbecker1, C Pump-Schmidt, S Olbricht
1Augenklinik der Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg. mail@jkuchenbecker.de
Purpose:
Crystalline plaques in the cornea or the retinal nerve fiber layer are well-known side effects of tamoxifen therapy. We investigated whether electrophysiological methods for determining the function of the retinal nerve fiber layer and retinal pigment epithelium demonstrate changes in tamoxifen retinopathy.
Patients And Methods:
We compared the right eyes of four women with breast cancer and mono- or bilateral tamoxifen retinopathy to ten right eyes of age-matched, eyehealthy patients who had not received tamoxifen by means of electrophysiological investigations (e.g., pattern-reversal electroretinography, flash electroretinography for the maximal combined response, electrooculography; ISCEV standard conditions).
Results:
No significant differences were observed between patients with tamoxifen retinopathy and controls regarding mean visual acuity, basal level of the electro-oculographic standing potential, basal level on the Arden index, or any of the other electrophysiological potentials.
Conclusions:
Pattern-reversal electroretinographic measurements revealed no damage of retinal ganglion cells in the presence of crystalline plaques in the retinal nerve fiber layer. Electro-oculography did reveal differences, but these were not statistically significant, possibly due to the small number of cases.