A Case Of Ipilimumab-Induced Unusual Serous Retinal Detachment In Bilateral Eyes

Ipilimumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that is now widely used for patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. However, this immune checkpoint inhibitor can induce related adverse events in various organs. Here, we report a case of bilateral drug (ipilimumab)-induced serous retinal detachment (SRD), and the characteristic features found during swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).

A 78-year-old man with metastatic melanoma received 4 cycles of dacarbazine, nimustine, vincristine, and interferon-beta starting in January 2014, followed by 47 cycles of nivolumab starting in September 2014. Treatment with ipilimumab was started in June 2017. After 2 cycles of ipilimumab, the patient noticed impairment of the visual field in both of his eyes (at day 22) and visited our department in August 2017. Best corrected visual acuity at this initial visit was 16/20 in both eyes, while a fundus examination revealed SRD and retinal pigment epithelial detachments in both eyes. When using the horizontal and vertical 12 mm B-scanned images of SS-OCT, we detected SRD accompanied by a widely distributed high reflection of the photoreceptor outer segment, including the area where the SRD appeared. In addition, the image also showed the interdigitation zone was indistinguishable. Fluorescein angiography showed little leakage in the maculae. During his course of follow-up examinations, there was an increase in the SRD at the beginning, after which it then gradually decreased. However, the obscurity of the interdigitation zone remained.

Ipilimumab may cause impairment of the outer retinal layer. We suggest that this is a presumed ipilimumab-induced SRD.