title: Use of intravitreal rituximab for treatment of vitreoretinal lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitreoretinal lymphoma is a diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Targeting malignant cells with rituximab is being used increasingly as local chemotherapy, but information on this treatment is scant. We aimed to describe current therapeutic approaches, as well as responses to and complications of, intravitreal rituximab in patients with vitreoretinal lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data were collected in a standardised manner retrospectively on patients with vitreoretinal lymphoma treated with intravitreal rituximab.
  
  
  RESULTS
  48 eyes (34 patients) with vitreoretinal lymphoma were treated with a median of 3.5 intravitreal injections of rituximab (1 mg/0.1 mL) for new diagnosis (68.8%), progressive disease (29.9%) and maintenance therapy (2.1%). Intravitreal rituximab±methotrexate was the sole treatment in 19 eyes (39.6%). 31 eyes (64.6%) eyes achieved complete remission, after a median of 3 injections; 7 of these eyes developed recurrent disease. 11 eyes (22.9%) achieved partial remission. Although rituximab may have contributed to complications reported in 12 eyes (25.0%), a 2-line loss of Snellen visual acuity occurred in only 2 of those eyes (4.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Approaches in rituximab-based intravitreal chemotherapy vary widely, but our findings suggest that this treatment may be safe and effective in inducing remission in a majority of eyes with vitreoretinal lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, , Portland, Oregon, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: Ujwala S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Saboo
authors.forename: Grant M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Comer
authors.forename: Farzin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forooghian
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mackensen
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.forename: H Nida
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rohan W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Essex
authors.forename: Stewart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.forename: Lyndell L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Daniel V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos-Santos
authors.forename: C Stephen
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Justine R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab
keywords: Retina; Treatment Medical; Vitreous