Clinicopathologic analysis of 32 ciliary body tumors.

PURPOSE

To describe the demographic profile, clinical and histopathologic features, and treatment of ciliary body tumors.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective, observational case series.

METHODS

Thirty-two patients (32 eyes) with ciliary body tumors diagnosed histopathologically at Tokyo Medical University Hospital between 1994 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

The patients' mean age at diagnosis was 45.4 ± 17.0 (range, 14-87) years. Ten of the patients were male, and 22, female. Twenty-four cases (75%) were benign tumors, comprising 9 melanocytomas, 7 adenomas, 4 mesectodermal leiomyomas, 2 leiomyomas, and 2 other tumors; and 8 cases (25%) were malignant tumors, comprising 6 melanomas and 2 low-grade adenocarcinomas. Local resection of the tumor was performed in 20 patients, including 3 cases of melanoma and 2 cases of adenocarcinoma. Enucleation was initially performed in 3 cases of melanoma, 1 case of melanocytoma with iris melanoma, and 2 cases of benign tumors difficult to differentiate clinically from melanoma. In the 17 patients who underwent local resection and were followed for at least 3 years, the outcome was best-corrected visual acuity better than 0.1 logMAR in 8 patients (47%), but hand motions in 2 patients (12%).

CONCLUSIONS

Melanocytoma and adenoma of the ciliary epithelium were the major ciliary body tumors found in this study. Management of ciliary body tumors with accurate clinical diagnosis remains challenging because of the anatomic characteristics and clinical similarities to melanoma in the majority of the cases.