Interferon retinopathy secondary to treatment for malignant melanoma

Interferons are a group of proteins that exhibit immunoregulatory and antiviral properties. Interferon alpha is now being commercially produced via recombinant DNA technology and has been indicated in the treatment of a variety of conditions including hepatitis, hairy cell leukemia, and has shown antitumor activity in patients with melanoma. Treatment with interferon alpha is generally well tolerated, though certain side effects of continued treatment have been noted including anorexia, fever, fatigue, blood disorders, GI symptoms, and central nervous symptoms. One particular side effect, that of retinopathy, has received scattered reports in the literature. Signs including cotton wool spots, hemorrhages, and optic nerve fiber layer defects have been noted. The following report describes a patient undergoing interferon treatment, secondary to the removal of a malignant melanoma from her back and her subsequent development of retinopathy.