Multimodal imaging characteristics of choroidal metastasis

Abstract

Objective \nTo observe the multimodal imaging characteristics of choroidal metastasis. \n \n \nMethods \nA retrospective clinical observation study. From January 2016 to November 2018, 28 patients with choroidal metastasis diagnosed in Department of Ophthalmology in the Second People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province were included in the study. There were 12 males and 16 females, with the mean age of 50.8±6.9 years. There were 18 unilateral patients and 10 bilateral patients. The lesion of choroidal metastasis was regressed after systemic antitumor therapy in 3 patients (4 eyes). All patients underwent ultra-wide-angle fundus photography, infrared fundus imaging, fundus autofluorescence, FFA, frequency-domain OCT, and B-ultrasound examinations. \n \n \nResults \nIn the ultra-wide-angle fundus photography, metastatic tumors were located in the posterior or middle part of the retina, of which 26 were isolated lesions and 12 were multifocal. A yellow-white bulge lesion with (11 eyes) or without pigmentation (27 eyes). There were 12 eyes with exudative retinal detachment. Infrared photography of the fundus showed that the tumor area showed varying degrees of mottled brightness change, and the infrared photograph of the exudative retinal detachment area was relatively low. Fundus autofluorescence showed that 14 eyes had plaque-like strong autofluorescence in the tumor, 13 eyes had a mottled autofluorescence formed by strong and weak fluorescence in the tumor; 3 eyes of old lesions showed leopard-like autofluorescence. Among the 38 eyes in the fluorescein angiography, 32 eyes of the early lesions showed low fluorescence, and the venous phase showed a needle-like high fluorescence point, and the post-leakage fluorescence gradually increased. Two eyes with old lesions showed a leopard-like change. In 38 eyes, OCT showed wavy ridges of the choroid and pigment epithelium, and a large number of fine-grained or cluster-like high-reflector accumulations were observed between the retinal neuroepithelial layer and the pigment epithelial layer. B-ultrasound showed substantial lesions in the posterior pole and uniform internal echo. There were 23 eyes with flat shape, 12 eyes with flat hemisphere, and 3 eyes with irregular shape. \n \n \nConclusions \nColor photography of the fundus showed the size, location, pigmentation and peripheral retinopathy of the metastatic lesions. Infrared photography showed different reflex signals in the tumor, exudation, and atrophy. The autofluorescence of the fundus showed the damage of pigment epithelium in the lesion. In the fluorescein angiography, the fresh tumor showed fluorescence leakage, while the atrophic tumor showed transmitted fluorescenc. OCT reflected the height of the lesion and the change of pigment epithelium. \n \n \nKey words: \nChoroid neoplasms/diagnosis;\xa0Fluorescein angiography;\xa0Tomography, optical coherence;\xa0Multimodal imaging characteristics