Primary Intraocular Lymphoma: Case Reports and a Review

Primary intraocular lymphoma is a lymphoma that occurs in the eye, and is a subtype of primary central nervous system lymphoma that occurs in the brain, spinal cord, and meninges. It is composed of diffuse large B cell type. The pathophysiology and cause are not known exactly, and future research is needed. However, viral infection is thought to be the cause in immunocompromised patients. Diagnostic methods include fluorescein angiography, retinal tomography, and ocular magnetic resonance imaging. The main diagnostic method is cytopathology, but due to its false-negative rates the interleukin (IL)-10 cytokine, known as a growth factor for malignant B-lymphocytes in primary intraocular lymphoma, can be helpful in diagnosis. In the case of primary intraocular lymphoma, intravitreal methotrexate injection can be performed. Ratio of IL-10/IL-6 is greater than 1 before treatment and decreases to less than 1 after treatment. Although the prognosis is poor, it is expected to increase the survival rate through research on diagnostic methods and intraocular injection treatment combined with systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapy.