RETRACTED ARTICLE: Cystoid Macular Oedema in a Patient Treated with STING Agonist and Ezabenlimab for Disseminated Melanoma.

Abstract

We describe a case of cystoid macular oedema associated with combination treatment using a STING agonist and ezabenlimab for disseminated melanoma. A 66-year-old male patient presented with worsening vision and cystoid macular oedema in the right eye, along with a small accumulation of subretinal fluid in the left eye. The patient has been undergoing treatment for melanoma since 2014. Five months prior to the ocular presentation, the patient was enrolled in a first-in-human trial with a STING agonist and ezabenlimab. Topical treatment with dexamethasone 0.1% drops and ketorolac 0.5% drops was prescribed, and he continued with systemic immunotherapy. After 6 weeks, morphological and functional improvement was noted; however, cystoid macular oedema persisted. Consequently, systemic immunotherapy was temporarily suspended. After an additional 4 weeks, cystoid macular oedema regressed in the right eye and subretinal fluid completely resolved in the left eye. In the first-in-human trial with a STING agonist and ezabenlimab for melanoma, cystoid macular oedema emerged as a notable ocular side effect with vision worsening. This case highlights the importance of careful ocular monitoring in patients receiving this combination therapy. The cGAS-STING pathway is an important target for future research in treating ocular inflammatory conditions.