Corneal autofluorescence in choroidal melanoma or in choroidal naevus

Aims-To investigate whether corneal autofluorescence is different in patien ts with choroidal melanoma or choroidal naevus. Methods-Corneal autofluorescence was determined by fluorophotometry in both eyes of 32 patients with a unilateral choroidal melanoma, 32 patients with a unilateral choroidal naevus, and 32 age matched healthy controls. The co rneal autofluorescence ratio between affected and contralateral eyes of pat ients or between randomly selected eyes of healthy controls was calculated. Results-Mean corneal autofluorescence ratio of patients with a choroidal me lanoma was significantly higher than that of healthy controls (mean ratio: 1.09 (SD 0.15) and 1.00 (0.09), respectively, ANOVA p=0.014), and than that of patients with choroidal naevus (mean ratio 0.96 (0.09), p<0.001). Mean ratios of patients with choroidal naevus and healthy controls were not sign ificantly different (p=0.27). Conclusions-Corneal autofluorescence ratio of patients with a unilateral ch oroidal melanoma is increased. This is probably due to an increased flow of glucose through the impaired blood-aqueous barrier in the affected eye, re sulting in additional glycation of corneal proteins and hence in increased autofluorescence. The corneal autofluorescence is not increased in patients with a choroidal naevus, because the blood-aqueous barrier is not impaired in the affected eye in these patients. Measurement of corneal autofluoresc ence is simple, fast, and noninvasive, and might be helpful to distinguish between patients with choroidal melanoma and those with choroidal naevus.