Vision Loss after Intravitreal Injection of Autologous "Stem Cells" for AMD

N Engl J Med. 2017 Mar 16;376(11):1047-1053. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1609583.

Abstract

Adipose tissue-derived "stem cells" have been increasingly used by "stem-cell clinics" in the United States and elsewhere to treat a variety of disorders. We evaluated three patients in whom severe bilateral visual loss developed after they received intravitreal injections of autologous adipose tissue-derived "stem cells" at one such clinic in the United States. In these three patients, the last documented visual acuity on the Snellen eye chart before the injection ranged from 20/30 to 20/200. The patients' severe visual loss after the injection was associated with ocular hypertension, hemorrhagic retinopathy, vitreous hemorrhage, combined traction and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, or lens dislocation. After 1 year, the patients' visual acuity ranged from 20/200 to no light perception.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / cytology*
  • Adipose Tissue / transplantation
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Blindness / etiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Injections
  • Macular Degeneration / therapy*
  • Retinal Detachment / etiology
  • Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Transplantation, Autologous / adverse effects
  • Vision Disorders / etiology*
  • Visual Acuity