Retina detachment...is there a link with CLL?

[Lizlashley1]

I'm recovering from an op to reattach my retina. In a bored moment I started googling any connection with CLL and it is looking like there is!!! Anyone had this problem too?

[Kiwidi]

I had a detached retina 10 years ago. I was diagnosed with CLL 5 years ago. Not sure there is any connection but maybe? Hopefully you not having to go through what I did- injection of gas bubble then 24 hours of keeping head on one side. Not fun😢

[Lizlashley1 in reply to Kiwidi]

Yup......same!!!! Bit I think there is a link.

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

Hi Lizlashley1,

-

I checked our archives and found only 4 previous discussions that mention it.

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Although my search is not hard scientific data, IMO - if it was a common side effect of CLL there would likely be several hundred past postings that mention it.

-

Len

[Lizlashley1 in reply to lankisterguy]

Thank you!!

[GMa27]

My opthalmologist never talks about my CLL & my hematologist has never mentioned it. True as mentioned, many would post about it if it were related.

[puffyjj]

My husband has had two detached retinas!

[Panz]

Yes, I have had CLL for going on 35 years and have has Lazer surgery for a detached retina. I also have ver stretched thinning retinas that could cause a detachment at any time. I just know the symptoms and go for help immediately. And yes I have been told they suspect CLL to play a part in this condition.

Panz👍🙏👌❤️☘️🙂

[AussieNeil Administrator]

I hope you have a successful recovery. Please note that the most likely risk factor for having a detached retina is getting older. Likewise our risk of developing CLL It doesn't necessarily mean that CLL increases the risk of having a detached retina. While CLL opthalmic involvement can occur, it is quite rare. We only have 20 of our 38,000 posts mentioning the retina healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

From webmd.com/eye-health/eye-he... with my emphasis;

Retinal Detachment Risk Factors

You're more likely to have a detached retina as you get older or if you have:

- Severe nearsightedness

- An eye injury or cataract surgery

- A family history of retinal detachment

- Lattice degeneration (thinning along the edges of your retina)

- Diabetic retinopathy (damaged blood vessels in your retina because of diabetes)

- Posterior vitreous detachment (the vitreous gel in your eye pulls away from your retina)

For a fun illustration of why correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation, read How Ice Cream Kills: Understanding Correlation and Causation

richfeenstra.com/blog/how-i...

...what few people realize is how dangerous a treat ice cream has become. First there is the issue of obesity, second there are higher crime rates, third there is the loss of life due to a rise in the number of drowning deaths, and finally, as more ice cream is sold there is an increase in forest fires. Given these indisputable facts, I need you to support my vision of an ice cream free world.

Neil

[Schubert1870]

I was recently thinking about when I was diagnosed with CLL in 2011, simultaneously having had hip arthritis so bad that I had hip replacements, as well as a detached retina. I will forever wonder if it was a coincidence or a connection.

[Pokerguy]

I was diagnosed in 2018 and had a detached retina in 2019. I was not aware of any link but now I wonder.

[bonbeat]

I have CLL and a had a detaching retina. I wondered about the connection . Both the retina specialist and my hematologist denied a connection.

[NaturalWaze]

I don’t have a detached retina but have a wrinkle in my retina (Macular Pucker) that I will probably need surgery on. Of course I immediately inquired if it could be related to CLL or the treatment and was told no by my CLL dr, ophthalmologist, and retina specialist. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[stevesmith1964]

No.

[RosettaClapp]

isn't old age the connection ??

[Ptown]

Hello Lizlashley, I had a detached retina 20 years before I was diagnosed with CLL. Sending you support as you recover! I know it is a challenging time during your time of healing. Carolyn

[fraxus1]

Well - both are strongly correlated to age, so it would take a controlled randomized LT trial to answer the question.

[Moma64]

I had different issue with my eye (I can't remember the medical term but it was causing me to see a blood spot in my field of vision) which had me referred to an ophthalmologist. His testing showed I also had a "cotton wool spot" in my eye which would indicate either diabetes or a previous stroke. He sent me for blood work (which I hadn't had done in years) and I was fully expecting a diabetes diagnosis since my father had it. To my surprise, my WBC count came back as being at treatment level......no W&W for me. Within a week of that blood work, I was meeting my "team" at the Cancer Centre, having a bone marrow biopsy, a CT scan and MRI, a blood transfusion, multiple rounds of blood work and was on Ibrutinib within 6 weeks after that. That was 5-1/2 years ago. No one has ever said my eye problem was caused by the CLL but it certainly resulted in my CLL diagnosis.

[CoachVera55]

I don’t know about retinal detachment but I am having vision problems since starting treatment. I seen an Opthamologist in July with an expected prescription change & now those glasses are not strong enough, I am experiencing blurry vision.

I have rapidly put on 30lbs since I could not work out for 8 months due to chestpain from full dose of Zanubritinib. I do have a history of obesity & pre diabetes. I hope its the weight which I am consistent with my workouts now, so time will tell…

I’m in the middle pose now but I want to get back to the right pic…