Fj. Lorusso et al., Melanocytoma (magnocellular nevus) of the ciliary body: Report of 10 casesand review of the literature, OPHTHALMOL, 107(4), 2000, pp. 795-800
Purpose: To describe the characteristics of melanocytoma (magnocellular nev
us) of the ciliary body, an unusual melanocytic tumor.
Design: Retrospective, clinicopathologic case series.
Methods: Ten melanocytomas of the ciliary body were examined histopathologi
cally. Five tumors were also examined by transmission electron microscopy.
The clinical histories were abstracted from the patients' medical records,
We compared the clinical, histopathologic, and ultrastructural findings of
our 10 cases with those previously reported in the literature.
Main Outcome Measures: To define clinical and histopathologic parameters of
this rare tumor.
Results: A total of 40 cases were summarized, including our 10 and 30 previ
ously reported cases. The mean age of the 40 cases was 47 years. Twenty-six
patients were female (65%), fourteen were male (35%). No laterality was ob
served. Eighty percent of the patients were white and 10% were black. The m
ost common clinical presentation was an asymptomatic dark spot involving th
e iris and ciliary body or the sclera, Involvement of chamber angle structu
res, with or without intrascleral extension, was observed in 85% (34 of 40
patients); but only 12% (2 of the 17 patients for whom information about in
traocular pressure and local extension was available) had elevated preopera
tive intraocular pressure. By electron microscopy, two distinct cell types
were observed.
Conclusions: Melanocytomas can usually be distinguished from other pigmente
d lesions of the ciliary body by histopathologic criteria, but may be diffi
cult to differentiate before surgery from other pigmented ciliary body tumo
rs, including malignant melanomas, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas of the pig
mented ciliary epithelium. Most tumors can be managed conservatively by iri
docyclectomy. (C) 2000 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.