[Paraneoplastic retinopathy in 2 patients with breast carcinoma]

Paraneoplastic retinopathies are rare paraneoplastic phenomena resulting in retinal degeneration. They occur in association with different tumor types, yet most frequently encountered in small cell carcinoma of the lung. Clinical symptoms may be present before the diagnosis of the underlying malignancy. They are characterized clinically by progressive visual loss with ring scotomas, photopsia and night-blindness. An autoimmune disorder is suggested. In the sera of patients antiretinal antibodies may be detected that are sometimes reactive with the 23 kD retinal antigen recoverin, a photoreceptorprotein. We report on two patients with breast cancer who developed paraneoplastic retinopathy during the course of disease. Immunologic tests showed antiretinal antibodies that were not reactive with the 23 kD retinal antigen recoverin.