Comparison of transillumination and histologic slide measurements of choroidal melanoma
J. Umlas, M. Diener-West, N. L. Robinson, W. R. Green, H. E. Grossniklaus and D. M. Albert
Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts/New England Medical Center Hospitals, Boston, Mass, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To compare transillumination and histologic slide measurements
of choroidal melanomas in 479 eyes randomized to enucleation in the
Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study. DESIGN: Transillumination defects were
measured during gross examination of enucleated eyes. Tumor basal diameter
and height were measured on histologic slides and each tumor was assigned
to 1 of 8 distinct shape categories. Comparison of the transillumination
and histologic slide measurements revealed 3 categories of difference:
underestimation (transillumination measurement more than 4 mm smaller than
the histologic slide measurement), overestimation (transillumination
measurement more than 4 mm larger than the histologic slide measurement),
and agreement within 4 mm. RESULTS: There was good correlation between
transillumination and histologic slide estimates of largest basal diameter,
particularly when the basal diameter was 16 mm or less. Measurement
discrepancies were related to the shape of the tumors but not to the
presence of subretinal fluid or fixation. CONCLUSION: Agreement was high
between measurements of transillumination defect and histologic sections.
