Clinical applications of optical coherence tomography in intraocular tumors

There are several tumors that can occur in the posterior segment of the eye.1,2 They are generally classified based on the main tissue involved such as the choroid, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), or retina. The spectrum of tumors in each tissue varies. For example, tumors in the choroid include the melanocytic nevus, melanoma, metastasis, cavernous hemangioma, and other less common tumors such as lymphoma, neurilemoma, leiomyoma, and osteoma.1,2 Lesions of the RPE include congenital hypertrophy, congenital simple hamartoma, combined hamartoma, reactive hyperplasia, adenoma, and adenocarcinoma. Those affecting the retina include capillary hemangioma, cavernous hemangioma, racemose hemangioma, vasoproliferative tumor, astrocytic hamartoma, and retinoblastoma. The differentiation of these tumors by experienced clinicians is made primarily by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Ancillary testing with intravenous fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), color Doppler testing, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy can assist in confirming the diagnosis.1,2 This chapter presents the OCT findings of selected intraocular tumors. © 2009 Springer New York.

Duke Scholars

Author Miguel Angel Materin Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery