Ophthalmic Complications Related to Chemotherapy in Medically Complex Patients

Systemic cancer therapies cause a variety of ophthalmic complications. Mitigating harmful adverse events involves screening patients at risk for ocular injury and vision loss.

A review of the relevant literature on the ophthalmic complications of cancer therapy was used to formulate an approach to screening patients for serious complications presenting at a nonophthalmic specialty center.

Rarely, ocular complications of cancer therapy can occur. Establishing a causal association for any given agent is complicated because many treatment-related adverse events result in symptoms and ocular findings indistinguishable from primary eye disorders.

Recognizing potentially serious ocular complications of cancer therapy before they result in irreversible injury starts with taking a relevant clinical history and performing a basic eye examination, including assessments of visual acuity and fields. Given the wide range of treatment-related adverse events and the challenges of diagnosis, the screening process plays an important role in expediting referral to an ophthalmologic specialist.