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VITREOUS CYTOKINE PROFILE IN AN EYE WITH A VASOPROLIFERATIVE TUMOR
Lucy V Cobbs1, Alexis Kaiser1, Rusdeep Mundae1
1Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York; and.
Purpose:
We present a patient with a primary vasoproliferative tumor (VPT) accompanied by vitreous haze and an epiretinal membrane. We report for the first time the vitreous cytokine profile from an eye with a primary VPT to explore the relationship between intraocular inflammation and these tumors.
Methods:
Retrospective chart review of a single patient case.
Results:
Twenty-five-gauge pars plana vitrectomy with membrane peel and vitreous biopsy was performed. Peripheral vitreous shave exposed an inferior gray-red mass located at the ora serrata, consistent with VPT. Treatment with confluent, long duration endolaser was performed. Vitreous cytology was negative for malignancy. A 13-cytokine panel (Associated Regional and University Pathologists, Inc, Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT) revealed elevated interleukin-6 (13.3 pg/mL; normal ≤2.0) and interleukin-8 (6.0 pg/mL; normal ≤3.0). At 1 month postoperatively, visual acuity improved from 20/40 to 20/25 in the right eye, with mild anterior vitreous inflammation and regression of the VPT.
Conclusion:
Proinflammatory and proangiogenic cytokines were elevated in the vitreous of this patient's eye with a primary VPT. We suggest that the endothelial cells and macrophages that comprise VPTs could secrete these cytokines into the vitreous, resulting in vitreous haze and an overzealous fibrotic response manifested as epiretinal membrane formation.
