CDK4/6 inhibitor-associated vortex keratopathy: a case report

Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors are novel anticancer drugs that can arrest the cell cycle and halt the progression of cancers. This study presents a rare case of vortex keratopathy associated with the use of a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor for breast cancer treatment.

A 60-year-old female patient with a one-year history of eye irritation presented at our hospital. She had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer two years prior and received treatment with tiremciclib (a novel CDK4/6 inhibitor) in combination with fulvestrant at the same time. After slit-lamp examination, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), and corneal confocal microscopy, the patient was diagnosed with vortex keratopathy. The ocular symptoms of the patient improved slightly after the use of artificial lubricating eye drops.

This case demonstrates the ocular characteristics and novel findings of corneal confocal microscopy of CDK4/6 inhibitor-related vortex keratopathy. Our findings increase the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of drug-induced vortex keratopathy and increase our awareness of ocular manifestations in patients receiving novel anticancer drugs.