A 27-YEAR-OLD FEMALE WITH MILD BLURRY VISION AND PROLONGED LIGHT ADJUSTMENT IN THE MORNING

The following case report highlights a rare presentation of chronic myeloid leukemia-associated hyper-viscosity syndrome and provides a brief review of expected findings and treatment outcomes.

An otherwise healthy 27-year-old woman presented to the ophthalmology clinic with mild bilateral blurriness (20/20 in both eyes) and prolonged light adaption in the morning for several months. Examination demonstrated severe bilateral venous stasis, white-centered hemorrhages, intraretinal hemorrhage, and peripheral ischemia with diffuse leakage.

Same-day CBC demonstrated a leukocytosis of >600,000. Subsequent bone marrow biopsy confirmed the 9,22 translocation (Philadelphia chromosome). On further examination, the patient had an enlarged cardiac silhouette, cytopenia, and splenomegaly past the umbilicus, consistent with a severe and life-threatening leukostasis.

Ocular involvement can occur in acute and chronic leukemia. Five to ten percentage of patients present to an eye physician first, without a known diagnosis. Prompt systemic treatment can result in near-complete reversal of any intraocular injury in most mild-to-moderate cases, as was the case here.