J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2014 Jun;55(6):908-912.

Paradoxical Trichomegaly of the Eyelashes During Treatment with EGFR Inhibitors: 2 Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. crisim@korea.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE
To introduce 2 cases of trichomegaly associated with the use of systemic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors for the treatment of lung cancer.
CASE SUMMARY
An 82-year-old female visited our clinic for ocular pain in both eyes. She was suffering from metastatic lung cancer and was under daily treatment with gefitinib (Iressa(R), AstraZeneca, London, UK) for 6 months. On ophthalmologic examination, she presented with abnormally elongated eyelashes, hyperemic conjunctiva and dense corneal erosion. A 52-year-old male who was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer 7 months before and treated with erlotinib (Tarceva(R) OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Melville, NY, USA) was referred to our clinic for injection and foreign body sensation in both eyes. Although there were no remarkable changes in eyelashes at the initial visit, long, curly, uneven eyelashes were observed after 3 months.
CONCLUSIONS
Due to the increased use of EGFR inhibitors in anti-cancer treatment, ophthalmologists should be aware of these chemotherapeutics' adverse effects.

Keyword

Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor; Trichomegaly

MeSH Terms

Aged, 80 and over
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
Conjunctiva
Eyelashes*
Female
Foreign Bodies
Humans
Lung Neoplasms
Male
Middle Aged
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor
Sensation
Erlotinib Hydrochloride
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor

Figure

  • Figure 1. (A) Eighty-two-year-old female patient under chemotherapy with gefitinib for metastatic lung cancer shows elongated eye-lashes and blepharitis on the upper and lower lids. (B) The elongation of the eyelashes looks prominent when closing eyes.

  • Figure 2. (A) Fifty-two-year-old male patient under chemothrerapy with erlotinib for non-small cell lung cancer shows conjunctival injection and superficial punctate keratitis at the initial visit. (B) After 3 months, curly elongated eyelashes are observed.


Reference

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