title: Optic nerve involvement in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: Leukemic infiltration of the optic nerve is rare. We describe the diagnostic assessment and the outcome in two adult patients suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia with T phenotype. In both cases the leukemic involvement of the eye was observed as an isolated extramedullary relapse followed after several months by hematological relapse. CT and MRI scans were negative, while an A-scan echography of the eye clarified the diagnosis. Early radiotherapy caused recovery of visual acuity in one case. A-scan echography is the most sensitive investigation for the early recognition of ocular localization in acute leukemias.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Ematologia, Facoltà di Medicina, Università Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piccirillo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cennamo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tranfa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frigeri
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rotoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D017254:Leukemic Infiltration; D008297:Male; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology*