Purpose:
To describe clinical, ultrasound biomicroscopy, and histopathologic characteristics of benign melanocytic tumors of the ciliary body.
Methods:
Retrospective case series of six patients with pigmented ciliary body tumors. All six patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination and ultrasound biomicroscopy. Histopathologic examination was done on three of the cases.
Results:
Six patients presented with a pigmented iris mass that was subsequently diagnosed to be of ciliary body origin. A sentinel vessel was present in one case. There was central displacement of iris root in all six cases. With gonioscopy only the anterior aspect of the lesion was visualized. Ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed a solid stromal mass arising in pars plicata and/or pars plana in all 6 cases with a cyst in 2 cases (intrinsic=1 and extrinsic=1). Iridocyclectomy was performed because of documented growth in 3 cases. All three cases proved to be spindle–cell nevus of the ciliary body on histopathologic evaluation. The other three patients are under close observation.
Conclusions:
Ciliary body nevi are probably more common that previously thought. On clinical basis and with available ancillary studies, ciliary body nevi cannot be reliably differentiated from ciliary body melanocytoma and ciliary body melanoma. Even with clinically documented growth, the lesions may prove to be ciliary body nevi.
Keywords: ciliary body • tumors • oncology