Bilateral Optic Neuropathy in a Patient with Imatinib Usage

Abstract

A 59-year-old woman presented with a painless vision loss in her left eye for five days. The nasal side of the right optic nerve head was mildly oedematous and hyperaemic, and the left optic nerve head was oedematous and hyperaemic. She was diagnosed as bilateral optic neuropathy. Imatinib was stopped, intravenous metilprednisolone was given for a week. The vision and fundus findings recovered in a few days. After 2 months imatinib was restarted, there was no ocular side effects until now. Imatinib is an important drug in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, but bilateral optic neuropathy, which is a serious ocular side effect, may be seen related to imatinib mesylate usage.