Intravitreal Melphalan Therapy Improves Vitreoretinal Lymphoma Outcomes

A recent retrospective study found the effectiveness and safety of intravitreal melphalan (IVM) injection therapy as a second-line treatment for vitreoretinal lymphoma. This study published in the recent edition of Retina journal highlights the potential breakthrough in managing this rare and serious condition.

This comprehensive study was conducted from January 2011 to March 2023 and retrospectively analyzed the cases of eight eyes that belonged to five patients who were diagnosed with vitreoretinal lymphoma. These patients had previously undergone intravitreal methotrexate and rituximab injections as initial therapy. The results from this study revealed that following intravitreal melphalan injections, all eyes expressed a complete response with neoplastic cells disappearing within six weeks. The injections were administered over a range of one to four times per eye that proved effective in managing the disease.

However, this research has limitations such as a quarter of the intravitreal melphalan injections were associated with macular edema that were diagnosed during the one-month follow-up. Also, this complication was resolved spontaneously within five months. And some patients experienced new retinal pigment epithelium changes following the treatment. While intravitreal melphalan injection appears to be a promising second-line therapy for vitreoretinal lymphoma, randomized clinical trials involving a larger patient cohort are imperative to validate its efficacy, establish standardized treatment protocols and ensure safety.

The vitreoretinal lymphoma poses significant challenges due to its rarity and complexity. And so, finding effective treatment options is critical for improving the patient outcomes and quality of life. Overall, the potential of intravitreal melphalan injection therapy offers hope for the individuals affected by this condition by highlighting the importance of ongoing research and clinical advancements in the field of ophthalmology.

Source:

Guneri Beser, B., & Demirci, H. (2024). INTRAVITREAL MELPHALAN INJECTION AS A SECOND-LINE LOCAL THERAPY IN VITREORETINAL LYMPHOMA. In Retina (Vol. 44, Issue 2, pp. 353–359). Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). https://doi.org/10.1097/iae.0000000000003963