[Corneal toxicity of cytarabine. Apropos of a case]

A 4 1/2 year old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed corneal toxicity while receiving courses of chemotherapy once a month (standard doses of vincristine, cyclophosphamide or teniposide, always associated with cytarabine and asparaginase). Symptoms began after 18 courses of treatment and consisted of ocular pain, foreign body sensation, blurred vision, bilateral conjunctival hyperemia. The symptoms appeared during the course of chemotherapy and decreased before the following course. Symptomatic treatment appeared to be effective. Ocular toxicity of antineoplastic agents and particularly cytarabine is discussed.