Antirecoverin antibody in the aqueous humor of a patient with cancer-associated retinopathy

PURPOSE: To describe a patient with cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) in whom antirecoverin antibody was found in the aqueous humor.DESIGN: Interventional case report.METHODS: A 65-year-old man underwent resection of adenocarcinoma of the lung in June 1991 and noted deterioration of vision 10 months later. Goldmann perimetry revealed a ring-like scotoma in each eye, and the electroretinogram was nonrecordable. Aqueous humor and peripheral venous blood were collected for Western blot analysis from this patient and three other patients during surgery for age-related cataract.RESULTS: We found antirecoverin antibody within the aqueous humor and serum in the patient with CAR. In contrast, such imunoreactivities were not observed in specimens from the control patients.CONCLUSION: These observations strongly suggest that antirecoverin antibody penetrates into the aqueous humor and vitreous cavity beyond the blood-retina barrier in CAR.