Tamoxifen induced pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy with reversible changes after drug discontinuation

Abstract

We report a case of breast cancer with clinically significant retinal toxicity induced by 7 years’ Tamoxifen consumption in which patient’s visual acuity and paraclinical findings remarkably improved after drug discontinuation. A 49-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer and Tamoxifen consumption was referred to our clinic for evaluation and treatment of gradual and progressive decrease visual acuity of both eyes (more prominent in right eye). Funduscopy showed bilateral macular pigmentary changes, with diffused tiny yellow crystals and reduced macular tessellation. On spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), there was retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) abnormality and ellip-soid zone discontinuity accompanied by retinal thinning and choroidal thickness that was more prominent in the right eye. One year after discontinuation of the drug, visual acuity was significantly improved and SD-OCT revealed some surprising recoveries in the photorecep-tor layers especially in her right eye.