Local chemotherapy with interferon-α for conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma -: A preliminary report

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of subconjunctival interferon-alpha for the treatment of conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Design: Small, noncomparative, interventional case series. Participants: Five patients with histologically proven conjunctival MALT lymphoma were studied prospectively. Methods: Patients were given 1,500,000 international units (IU) of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) (Roferon-A) subconjunctivally inside the lesion, three times a week for four weeks. If there was even a minimal response, a further cycle of 1,000,000 IU three times a week for four weeks was administered. Patients received a maintenance dose of 1 million IU, every 15 days for 4 times, after clinical resolution of the lesion. Main Outcome Measures: Patients were followed clinically, with slit lamp examination, for evidence of tumor disappearance or recurrence. Results: Complete response was obtained in all patients. The lesion resolved completely by the eighth week. Four patients did not show any local recurrence with a median follow-up of 21 months (12-36 months), One patient presented with a recurrence after 11 months, in association with systemic lymphoma progression. Conclusions: Local chemotherapy with IFN-alpha seems to be an effective treatment modality, alternative to radiotherapy, for conjunctival MALT lymphomas.