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Updated: May 5, 2026

Author Spotlight: Anterior HR-OCT as a Non-Invasive Tool for Characterizing Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia
Published on: August 9, 2024
[Conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma: paradoxical response to interferon eyedrops]
1Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Central Cruz Roja San José y Santa Adela, Madrid, España.
Case Report:
A 67 year-old male seen for a longstanding corneal-conjunctival tumor.
Treatment:
topical interferon α2b (IFN-α2b) 10 U/ml. A significant increase in lesion size was observed after 8 weeks. A surgical excision with cryotherapy was then performed. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. At this time the patient was found to have a positive HIV serology.
Discussion:
Conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is a pre-cancerous lesion of the ocular surface. Medical treatment of CIN is essentially with IFN-α2b due to its antiviral/antitumor properties. In patients with HIV, treatment response could be paradoxical. We recommend serology for HIV before treatment with topical IFN-α2b.
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