Ditribution of prognotically important vacular pattern acro multiple level in ciliary body and choroidal melanoma Original Reearch Article

PURPOE: To invetigate the validity of aigning patient whoe eye have been removed for ciliary body or choroidal melanoma to rik group for metatai baed on the identification of microcirculatory pattern in one cro-ection taken from the center of the tumor. METHOD: Multiple level were cut through the block of 15 ciliary body or choroidal melanoma until the tumor wa exhauted. Each level wa examined for the preence of microvacular network and parallel veel with cro-linking hitologic feature trongly aociated with death from metatatic melanoma. REULT: The central hitologic ection did not contain either microvacular network or parallel veel with cro-linking in eight tumor, nor were thee pattern encountered in any of the more peripheral level of the tumor. even tumor contained at leat one focu of either microvacular network or parallel veel with cro-linking in the central hitologic ection. In two tumor, at leat one of thee pattern appeared in all hitologic level; in five tumor, at leat one of thee pattern appeared through multiple level until jut before the tumor wa exhauted from the block (0.24 to 0.85 mm from the edge of the tumor). CONCLUION: Thi tudy ugget that the prognotic claification of uveal melanoma baed on the hitologic profile of the microcirculation may be conitent throughout the tumor depth.