Vitreoretinal Lymphoma with Intraretinal Infiltration, Simulating Retinal Necrosis

Ophthalmol Retina. 2023 Nov 30:S2468-6530(23)00624-3. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2023.11.016. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the clinical features and outcomes of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) with intraretinal infiltration, a pseudonecrotic variant.

Design: Retrospective, comparative analysis.

Subjects: Patients with biopsy-proven VRL at a single center from August 2016 to April 2022.

Methods: A retrospective record review was conducted for clinical, imaging, and laboratory data.

Main outcome measures: Clinical features, visual, and survival outcomes.

Results: We included 67 eyes of 40 patients with biopsy-proven VRL. Pseudonecrotic retinal lesions (PRLs) were found in 24 (35.8%) eyes of 19 patients; these eyes were classified as a pseudonecrotic variant, whereas the remaining 43 (64.2%) eyes were classified as nonnecrotic. Comparison (pseudonecrotic vs. nonnecrotic) revealed that eyes with PRLs at presentation had a worse median best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA; 2.4 vs. 0.5 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR], P < 0.0001) and severe ocular manifestations (P < 0.0001), including optic disc swelling (79.2% vs. 0%), retinal vasculitis (93.8% vs. 4.7%), retinal hemorrhage (83.3% vs. 0%), and retinal detachment (RD) (79.2% vs. 0%). Follow-up data were available for 20 eyes (17 patients) in the pseudonecrotic group and 43 eyes (21 patients) in the nonnecrotic group. An equally worse median BCVA was noted in pseudonecrotic eyes at 6 months after treatment and the final follow-up as compared with nonnecrotic eyes (2.4 vs. 0.3 logMAR, P < 0.0001). The median follow-up period did not differ significantly (16.6 vs. 18.4 months, P = 0.47). Initial BCVA (β = 0.300, P = 0.003), presence of anterior chamber cell (β = 0.472, P = 0.013), and RD (β = 1.137, P < 0.0001) were significantly associated with poor visual outcomes in multivariate linear regression analysis (adjusted R2 = 0.693). There were no significant differences in survival outcomes.

Conclusion: Vitreoretinal lymphoma can present as pseudonecrotic retinopathy, with more advanced clinical presentations and worse final visual outcomes.

Financial disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Keywords: Clinical features; Intraretinal infiltration; Outcomes; Pseudonecrotic retinal lesions; Vitreoretinal lymphoma.