Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing VRL Diagnosis Using Cell-Free DNA Extraction from Vitreous Humor
Published on: January 12, 2024
Occlusive Vasculitis Following Intravitreal Rituximab Injection for Primary Vitreoretinal Lymphoma
Emily D Cole1, Vaidehi Dedania2, Hakan Demirci1
1Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Purpose:
We report three cases of occlusive vasculitis following intravitreal rituximab therapy for biopsy-proven primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL), one of which was following an injection of the biosimilar Riabni (rituximab-arrx, AmGen) and two of which were following an injection of Rituxan (rituximab, Genentech).
Methods:
Case series.
Results:
Three cases of occlusive vasculitis confirmed with fluorescein angiography are reported 5 days, 8 days, and 3.5 weeks following intravitreal injection of rituximab. The initial vision was poor (20/500, 20/150, and light perception), but vision recovered to baseline in two cases, and remained poor in the case of combined artery and vein occlusion.
Conclusion:
Occlusive vasculitis is a rarely reported but potential complication of intravitreal rituximab therapy in patients who have been previously treated with the agent and may have delayed onset. A low threshold for fluorescein angiography as a diagnostic test for post-injection vision loss and prompt treatment with topical and/or oral steroids should be considered.
