[Seven cases of eye involvement in adult with acute leukemia]

Seven acute leukemia cases with oculomotor paralysis and/or optic nerve paralysis were reported. Five cases were lymphoblastic and two were myelogenous leukemia. The average age was 30.7 years old and male to female ratio was 5:2. The eye involvement developed during hematological complete remission stage in 4 cases, and during relapsing stage in 2 cases. For the remaining case, eye symptom was an initial symptom of the disease. The computed tomography of ocular region showed tumorous involvement in 3 cases and no abnormality in other 4 cases. The white blood cell count on admission was over 30,000/microliters and leukemic cells occupied over 59% of bone marrow nucleated cells in 5 cases. Intrathecal administration, a whole brain irradiation and intra-arterial injection of Nimustin as well as standard systemic chemotherapy were performed against oculomotor and optic nerve involvement. Leucoencephalopathy occurred in 2 of 7 cases after intrathecal administration and irradiation. Since 1980, continuous treatment for prophylaxis of central nervous system leukemia have been done and this protocol was effective for meningeal involvement but not for ocular involvement.