IMPORTANCE: This case series highlights the risk of uveitis in patients treated 
with vemurafenib for unresectable or metastatic cutaneous melanoma.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence and severity of uveitis as an adverse effect 
of vemurafenib therapy.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: In this observational small case series, data 
were collected successively from May 1, 2012, through February 31, 2013, from 
patients with clinical signs of ocular inflammation treated with vemurafenib at 
the Department of Ophthalmology, Cochin-Hôtel-Dieu Hospital.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Patients' demographics, vemurafenib dosages, and the 
intervals between the onset of treatment and the first ocular symptoms were 
recorded. The characteristics of ocular inflammatory manifestations were 
analyzed. The effect of the discontinuation of vemurafenib therapy on ocular 
manifestations was assessed, as well as the effect of rechallenging when 
vemurafenib was reintroduced.
RESULTS: Seven patients (mean [SD] age, 74.7 [4.0] years) had uveitis. The 
vemurafenib dose was 960 mg twice per day in 6 patients and a half dose in 1 
patient. The mean (SD) time until the appearance of ocular signs was 5.6 (2.3) 
months (range, 19 days to 7 months), and inflammation ranged from mild or 
low-grade anterior uveitis to severe explosive panuveitis complicated by retinal 
detachment. Signs of ocular inflammation were always bilateral. Optical 
coherence tomography revealed a macular edema in only 1 of the 7 patients. 
Clinical improvement occurred when vemurafenib therapy was stopped in 5 of 7 
patients. The rechallenge at treatment reintroduction was positive in 2 of 7 
patients.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This small case series highlights that uveitis can be 
a noteworthy adverse effect of vemurafenib therapy in patients with metastatic 
cutaneous melanoma. However, these cases of uveitis were usually restricted to 
the anterior segment and manageable with local corticosteroid therapy, which 
justified the continuation of vemurafenib therapy because the benefits regarding 
the patients' survival were greater than the risk to their vision.