title: Successful management of conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia by interferon alpha-2b.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha 2b) was recently shown to be effective as an alternative therapy for conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Herein, we report our successful management of CIN by the use of IFN alpha 2b.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 73-year-old woman presented with a complaint of irritation due to a tumorous lesion in her left eye. Slit-lamp microscope examination revealed a tumorous lesion involving the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva as well as the limbus, from the 3-o'clock position to the 8-o'clock position. She had already undergone cryotherapy in the same eye in another hospital, twice for a lesion on the lower tarsal conjunctiva and once for a lesion on the upper tarsal conjunctiva. The histological diagnosis had been CIN.
  
  
  METHODS
  In treating this patient, IFN alpha 2b was injected subconjunctivally twice and also applied as eye drops for 12 weeks. Two weeks after the initial treatment, the tumorous lesion disappeared. During a 1-year follow-up period, no recurrence was noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Topical and subconjunctival IFN alpha 2b is a valuable treatment option for CIN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshita
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shirao
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: Scheffer C G
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tseng
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins