Ultrasound Characteristics of Choroidal Metastases by Primary Tumor Site.

Abstract

Purpose : Currently, there are few studies that compare ultrasonographic differences of choroidal metastases (CM) according to primary tumor site. The purpose was to determine the ultrasonographic features of CM according to primary tumor site.

Methods : This is a multi-center, retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, and comparative study. Data was obtained from 4 ophthalmological hospitals in Mexico: 1) Asociación Para Evitar la Ceguera en México (APEC); 2) Hospital General de México; 3) Fundación Hospital Nuestra Señora de la Luz; 4) Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI. The project had prior Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and was adherent to the tenants of the Declaration of Helsinki.
The medical records of adult patients with CM diagnosed from 2000 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed, recruiting patients diagnosed with CM who had a known primary cancer site and did not have treatment for choroidal metastases before ocular ultrasound.
Mann–Whitney U-test was used as a non-parametric test to compare groups of patients according to primary cancer site. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS. Statistical significance was considered as P <0.05.

Results : Forty-seven patients were recruited, 59.57% (N=28) corresponding to females, 40.43% (N=19) to males. The age of presentation of the primary tumor had a mean of 56 years (25-81). The primary cancer site was breast in 23 patients (48.93%), lung in 9 (19.14%), gastrointestinal and kidney respectively in 4 (8.51%), prostate 2 (4.25%), testicle, thyroid, ovary, skin melanoma, and carcinoid respectively in 1 (2.12%).

CM reflectivity was statistically significant (p=0,05) when comparing breast (mean reflectivity of 80%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 58-92%) with lung (mean reflectivity of 67%; 95% CI 54-80). No statistically significant differences were found in terms of size.

Conclusions : CM from breast cancer have higher reflectivity by ultrasound compared to lung cancer. Our results could prove useful in the absence of any detectable primary cancer site.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.