Background: We report a case of a severe corneal disorder after lung cancer treatment with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, erlotinib hydrochloride (Tarceva^®).
Case: A 59-year-old man, who was referred to our cornea service, presented with blurred vision and pain OD. Visual acuity was 6/20. Slit-lamp examination showed a severe corneal epithelial defect and ocular inflammation OD. Eighteen months previously, he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had been undergoing treatment with erlotinib for 6 months. He had no history of ocular surgery, trauma or diabetes. After topical antibiotic therapy was started and the erlotinib treatment was discontinued for 1 week, the corneal findings resolved completely. The visual acuity recovered to 20/20 after 8 weeks.
Conclusion: An EGFR inhibitor used to treat lung cancer can cause severe corneal disorders including severe corneal defects and ocular inflammation. Clinicians should consider the possibility of erlotinib in cases of corneal disorders of uncertain etiology.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 116: 510-515, 2012.