Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To analyze the feasibility of monosomy 3 identification in choroidal/ciliary body melanoma undergoing brachytherapy. Methods: Thirty–one consecutive patients affected by uveal melanoma ( > 5 mm in thickness), scheduled for Iodine–125 brachytherapy, underwent intraoperative cytologic fine–needle aspiration biopsy, just before plaque implantation. Specimens were evaluated for standard cytologic characteristics and underwent FISH technique for chromosome 3 cytogenetic analysis. Results: Minimum follow–up was 6 months (6–20 months). Twenty–eight cases (90.3%) gave enough material for cytogenetic analysis. Fifteeen cases (53.5%) had monosomy 3. Monosomy 3 was not significantly related (p>.05) to: tumor dimensions, cytologic characteristics and tumor location (choroid/ciliary body). No major complications or extrascleral extension were documented. Conclusions: FISH analysis for chromosome 3 is a reliable and efficient technique in the analysis of fresh cytologic tumor specimens and may be valuable in the prediction of prognosis in individuals with uveal melanoma. In vivo determination of monosomy 3 is possible analyzing cytologic tumor specimens obtained before episcleral plaque implantation.
Keywords: melanoma • gene/expression • fluorescent in situ hybridization