Unilateral anterior uveitis complicating zoledronic acid therapy in breast cancer

Nagi S El Saghir¹ , Zaher K Otrock¹ and Jamal H Bleik²

¹Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon

²Division of Ophthalmology, Rizk Hospital and Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

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BMC Cancer 2005, 5:156doi:10.1186/1471-2407-5-156


Published:	6 December 2005

Abstract

Background

Zoledronic acid is very widely used in patients with metastatic bone disease and osteoporosis. Only one case of bilateral uveitis was recently reported related to its use.

Case presentation

We report the first case of severe unilateral anterior uveitis in a patient with breast cancer and an intraocular lens. Following zoledronic acid infusion, the patient developed severe and dramatic right eye pain with decreased visual acuity within 24 hours and was found to have a fibrinous anterior uveitis of moderate severity The patient was treated with topical prednisone and atropine eyedrops and recovered slowly over several months.

Conclusion

Internists, oncologists, endocrinologists, and ophtalmologists should be aware of uveitis as a possible complication of zoledronic acid therapy. Patients should be instructed to report immediately to their physicians and treatment with topical prednisone and atropine eyedrops should be instituted immediately at the onset of symptoms. This report documents anterior uveitis as a complication of zoledronic acid therapy. This reaction could be an idiosyncratic one but further research may shed more light on the etiology.