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Deferoxamine retinopathy: spectral domain-optical coherence tomography findings
Cheng-Hsiu Wu, Chao-Ping Yang, Chi-Chun Lai
1Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No, 5, Fu-Hsing Street, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. yihsing@gmail.com.
Background:
To describe the spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings of a patient who developed pigmentary retinopathy following high-dose deferoxamine administration.
Case Presentation:
A 34-year-old man with thalassemia major complained of nyctalopia and decreased vision following high-dose intravenous deferoxamine to treat systemic iron overload. Fundus examination revealed multiple discrete hypo-pigmented lesions at the posterior pole and mid-peripheral retina. Recovery was partial following cessation of desferrioxamine six weeks later. A follow-up SD-OCT showed multiple accumulated hyper-reflective deposits primarily in the choroid, retina pigment epithelium (RPE), and inner segment and outer segment (IS/OS) junction.
Conclusion:
Deferoxamine retinopathy primarily targets the RPE-Bruch membrane-photoreceptor complex, extending from the peri-fovea to the peripheral retina with foveola sparing. An SD-OCT examination can serve as a simple, noninvasive tool for early detection and long-term follow-up.
