CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS OF CHROMOSOME ANALYSIS, FROM FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSIES, OF POSTERIOR UVEAL MELANOMAS

Purpose An accurate assessment of prognosis is essential to the clinic al assessment of malignancy. In posterior uveal melanoma specific chro mosome alterations have been shown to correlate significantly with pro gnosis; but the procedure is restricted to patients treated surgically , and in consequence has been limited mainly to large tumours. Fine ne edle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) may provide sufficient material to perfo rm this technique, and allow its use in the in situ assessment of tumo urs, including small lesions. To determine the feasibility of this app roach we have conducted a pilot study using enucleated tumours. Method s Ten cases of posterior uveal melanoma were studied. In each instance both a test FNAB and a standard tissue preparation were conducted, an d the results compared. FNABs were obtained from enucleated rumours by aspirating cells using a 5 ml syringe with a .25 gauge needle; cells were injected into phosphate-buffered saline, spun down and establishe d in vitro. Conventional short-term cultures were established from tum our tissue samples, which were minced prior to the establishment of cu ltures. Cytogenetic analysis was performed following standard protocol s. Results Of the 10 cases examined, full chromosome analysis was obta inable from all standard tissue short-term cultures. Cytogenetics was successful from cultures of 6 FNAB, with 2 further FNAB producing part ial analyses. No major clonal differences were determined between the two procedures. Conclusions Cytogenetic analysis of FNAB appears to be entirely feasible for posterior uveal melanomas, and may permit an ac curate in situ assessment of tumours, including small lesions.