American Journal of Ophthalmology
Volume 139, Issue 6 , Pages 1113-1114, June 2005

Total Blindness From Presumed Optic Nerve Melanocytoma

Presented at the annual meeting of the Atlantic Coast Retina Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 14, 2005.

  • Jerry A.. Shields, MD

      Affiliations

    • Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • Corresponding Author InformationInquiries to Jerry A. Shields, MD, Ocular Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107; fax: 215-928-1140
    • ,
  • Carol L. Shields, MD

      Affiliations

    • Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Hormoz Ehya, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia; Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Ranjit S. Dhaliwal, MD (FRCSC)

      Affiliations

    • Retina Eye Center, Augusta, Georgia

Accepted 19 November 2004.

Purpose

To describe total blindness secondary to presumed optic nerve melanocytoma.

Design

Interventional case report.

Methods

A 12-year-old African-American girl, who developed loss of light perception secondary to a pigmented lesion of the optic disk, underwent transvitreal fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the lesion.

Results

Cytopathology revealed cells with features of melanocytoma and melanophages but no cells compatible with melanoma. The patient is being followed without treatment.

Conclusions

Optic nerve melanocytoma can cause total blindness in the affected eye. Although it has limitations, FNAB can assist in diagnosis and management of melanocytoma with visual loss.

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 Supported by the Eye Tumor Research Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (J.S., C.S.), the Award of Merit in Retina Research, Houston, Texas (J.S.), and the Macula Foundation, New York, New York (C.S.).

PII: S0002-9394(04)01411-4

doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2004.11.048

American Journal of Ophthalmology
Volume 139, Issue 6 , Pages 1113-1114, June 2005

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