[A relapse in the eye of acute lymphoblastic leukemia]

Two months after discontinuation of maintenance chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an eight-year old boy developed anterior uveitis shown by aspiration of the anterior chamber to be caused by a recurrence. At the initial stage of ocular involvement, no evidence of neuromeningeal involvement was present. Remission was achieved by topical corticosteroid therapy, systemic chemotherapy, and irradiation of the eyeballs. The patient then underwent total body irradiation, major chemotherapy, and autogenic bone marrow transplantation. The fact that the eye acts as a "sanctuary" explains why delayed ocular recurrences are occasionally seen in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.