[Ocular involvement during primary central nervous system lymphoma].

Purpose: The aim of our study was to assess and to characterize the ocular involvement in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma.
Population and Methods: We conducted a prospective study between August 1995 and December 1998 on a cohort of consecutive patients affected by primary central nervous system lymphoma and who underwent a systematic ophthalmological examination before treatment.
Results: The study population comprised 24 patients (mean age, 57 years; 16 women and 8 men). Among these patients, 6 had ocular involvement (2 patients with ocular signs revealing the cerebral process, 2 evidenced at the time of the initial ocular examination, and 1 as the disease evolved). Ocular involvement was vitritis in all cases, anterior uveitis in 1 patient, obliterant vasculitis in 1 patient and yellowish subretinal lesions in 1 patient. In 1 case, a vitrectomy led to adequate diagnosis of the disease.
Conclusion: Our study shows a 25% incidence of ocular involvement in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma, with posterior uveitis as the most common manifestation. Because of the relatively high incidence of ocular involvement, a systematic ophthalmological examination of this subset of patients should be mandatory.