Relation between ocular paraneoplastic syndromes and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI): review of literature

PURPOSE: To describe different ocular paraneoplastic syndromes in patients treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI), its relation with different types of ICI and different types of tumors, and its implications for treatment. METHODS: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed. RESULTS: Patients treated with ICI can present with different ocular paraneoplastic syndromes, such as Carcinoma Associated Retinopathy (CAR), Melanoma Associated Retinopathy (MAR) and paraneoplastic Acute Exudative Polymorphous Vitelliform Maculopathy (pAEPVM). In literature, the different types of paraneoplastic retinopathy are mostly related to different types of primary tumors, with MAR and pAEPVM seen in melanoma, and CAR in carcinoma. Visual prognosis is limited in MAR and CAR. CONCLUSION: Paraneoplastic disorders result from an antitumor immune response against a shared autoantigen between the tumor and ocular tissue. ICI enhance the antitumor immune response, which can lead to increased cross-reaction against ocular structures and unmasking of a predisposed paraneoplastic syndrome. Different types of primary tumors are related to different cross-reactive antibodies. Therefore, the different types of paraneoplastic syndromes are related to different types of primary tumors and are probably unrelated to the type of ICI. ICI-related paraneoplastic syndromes often lead to an ethical dilemma. Continuation of ICI treatment can lead to irreversible visual loss in MAR and CAR. In these cases overall survival must be weighed against quality of life. In pAEPVM however, the vitelliform lesions can disappear with tumor control, which may involve continuation of ICI. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12348-023-00338-1.