Complex diagnostic technology for assessing the vascular network of choroidal melanoma

Author: Elena Samkovich (Russian Federation)

Co-authors: Irina Panova

Purpose

To study the diagnostic capabilities of various research methods in visualization of the neovascular network of small and medium-sized choroidal melanoma.

Setting/Venue

S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution, St. Petersburg Branch

Methods

45 patients (45 eyes) with choroidal melanoma (19 men, 26 women), aged 22 to 84 (56.03 +15.29) years, underwent complex diagnostics using various methods of studying the blood supply to the tumor: ultrasound in the color Doppler mode mapping, indocyanine green angiography and spectral optical coherence tomography-angiography.

Results

The different diagnostic significance of instrumental methods for the identification of neovascular vasculature in small and medium choroidal melanomas was established: indocyanine green angiography – 89%, OCT angiography – 71%, ultrasound – 77%. In case of “small” choroidal melanomas, indocyanine green angiography (83%) and OCT angiography (79%) are highly diagnostic in detecting tumor blood supply, while the first type of angioarchitectonics of the neovascular bed was diagnosed with a significantly higher frequency. In case of medium melanoma of the choroid, the informative value of angiography with indocyanine green and ultrasound examination was highly significant and made it possible to diagnose the vascular network in all the cases studied. Choroidal melanomas of these sizes are characterized by the presence of predominantly the second type of angioarchioarchitectonics (81%), in which the hypervascular nature of blood flow was significantly more often determined.

Conlusions

The results of this study demonstrate that the use of an integrated diagnostic approach provides a high diagnostic value in the study of blood supply to choroidal melanoma, which determines the prospects for continuing this study with the aim of a detailed study of the angioarchitectonics of choroidal melanoma.

Financial Disclosure

The study had no sponsorship.