Ocular Surface Disease in Breast Cancer Patients Using Aromatase Inhibitors.
Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are widely used as adjuvant hormonal therapy in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential impact of AIs on the anterior segment of the eye and especially the ocular surface. Participants in our study were 41 hormone receptor-positive early stage breast cancer patients (80 eyes), treated with AIs, while 80 eyes of 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, not previously used AIs for any purpose, were also evaluated. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) assessment, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and dilated fundus examination. Ocular surface disease-related symptoms and signs were also recorded. The most common symptom was found to be blurred vision, while other symptoms included foreign body sensation, tearing, redness, and photophobia. Slit-lamp examination revealed blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction in 75% and 42.5% of patients, respectively. Superficial punctate keratitis and conjunctival injection were also present. Our results demonstrated a high prevalence of ocular surface disease-related symptoms and signs in patients receiving AIs compared to healthy controls. This study may raise a flag regarding the use of AIs. However, further and larger prospective longitudinal studies are needed to examine the possible effect of AIs alone or in combination with chemotherapy in the eyes of breast cancer patients.
1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Irini
I
Chatziralli
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Theodoros
T
Sergentanis
Breast Unit, 1st Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Flora
F
Zagouri
Breast Unit, 1st Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Dimosthenis
D
Chrysikos
1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Ioannis
I
Ladas
Breast Unit, 1st Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
George C
GC
Zografos
1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Marilita
M
Moschos
D000368:Aged; D000869:Anterior Eye Segment / Q000187:drug effects; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors
aromatase; breast; ocular surface