Bilateral cystoid macular edema following docetaxel chemotherapy in a patient with retinitis pigmentosa: a case report

Background Docetaxel is a chemotherapeutic agent of the taxane class of drugs for the treatment of breast cancer. We present a female patient who noted decreased vision after docetaxel treatment. Case presentation A 45-year-old female patient received docetaxel treatment after resection of a breast carcinoma. Funduscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed cystoid macular edema on both eyes. Dilated funduscopy also showed bone spicule-like pigmented deposits, typical for retinitis pigmentosa. Besides the fundus appearance restricted peripheral vision and scotopic electroretinogram confirmed the diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa. Chemotherapy was discontinued following a consulation with the oncologist of the patient. After five weeks, visual acuity improved significantly along with decrease of retinal thickness measured by OCT. Conclusion Docetaxel may cause ocular adverse effects such as cystoid macular edema. Ophthalmological examination is warranted for patients with visual complaints during docetaxel chemotherapy.