A study published in Ophthalmology reports that interferon alpha therapy, the first-line treatment for hepatitis B and C, and also used to treat cancers such as melanoma and hairy cell leukemia, has been associated with an ischemic retinopathy with cotton wool spots being a common finding.

A report suggests that anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) may also be linked to interferon alpha therapy, and the authors recommend that interferon be stopped if this is found.