Subconjunctival/Perilesional Recombinant Interferon α2b for Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia A 10-Year Review

Purpose: To evaluate the biologic effect of subconjunctival recombinant interferon alpha 2b (IFN alpha 2b) for the treatment of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN). Design: Retrospective study. Participants: Patients with primary or recurrent OSSN treated with subconjunctival injections of recombinant IFN alpha 2b were studied retrospectively. Intervention: Patients were given perilesional subconjunctival injections of 3 million international units in 0.5 ml of IFN alpha 2b (Intron; Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, NJ) until tumor resolution. Main Outcome Measures: Patients were followed up clinically and photographically for evidence of tumor resolution and were monitored for evidence of tumor recurrence. Results: The authors present a series of 15 eyes (14 patients) that were treated with perilesional, subconjunctival, recombinant IFN alpha 2b. Clinical resolution of the tumor occurred in 13 of 15 eyes. The median time to resolution was 1.4 months (range, 0.6-5.7). In the time of follow-up after lesion resolution (median, 55 months), only 1 of the 15 eyes in the study exhibited disease recurrence, and this occurred 4 months after clinical resolution. Conclusions: Perilesional subconjunctival recombinant IFN alpha 2b may be a viable medical alternative for the treatment of OSSN. Future studies will be needed to evaluate the ideal treatment regimen of IFN alpha 2b.