INTRAOCULAR HEMORRHAGE DEVELOPING DURING INTERFERON THERAPY

A 43-year-old man with chronic active hepatitis C was treated with int erferon-beta (IFN-beta) at a dosage of 6x10(6) IU/day for a planned 6- week period. Ocular hyperemia, ophthalmalgia, and increased intraocula r pressure in the right eye developed 20 days after the start of treat ment. Intraocular pressure remained high, even after discontinuation o f IFN therapy, laser therapy, and iridectomy. Two days later, the righ t eye was removed because perforation had occurred. The ocular symptom s that developed in this case were thought to have been caused and exa cerbated by IFN administration.