The Spectrum of Ocular Manifestations in Patients with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

Purpose: To investigate the ocular manifestations in 91 Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) patients.Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional, observational analysis.Results: Ocular impairments, detected in 19 patients, included flame-shaped hemorrhages, venous sausaging, papilledema, macular detachments, or central retinal vein occlusion in 16 patients; paraproteinemic keratopathy in 2; and a CANOMAD syndrome in 1. Best-corrected visual acuity was >= 0.5 logMAR units in 11 of 38 eyes. Intraocular pressure was increased in seven eyes. Genetic analysis in seven patients showed a mutation in the MYD88 gene in six patients and a nonsense mutation in the CXCR4 gene in five patients. Plasmapheresis followed by chemotherapy with or without the addition of rituximab resulted in improvement or normalization of the ophthalmological findings in 15 patients.Conclusion: The ocular manifestations of WM are protean and potentially sight threatening. Recent advances in genomic profiling and chemotherapy have remarkably improved the hematological and ophthalmological outcomes of these patients.

Automated summary

The study investigated the ocular manifestations in 91 Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM) patients, revealing a variety of ocular impairments that can potentially threaten vision. Genetic analysis and treatment have significantly improved ophthalmological outcomes, highlighting the importance of managing both the hematological and ocular aspects of WM patients.