Small choroidal melanoma and pseudomelanomas: methods of differential diagnostics. Part 1

Abstract

Choroidal melanoma is a malignant tumor prone to early metastasis. Its clinical picture is polymorphic, as a result of which it can simulate many diseases of the fundus, which are referred to in the literature as pseudomelanomas. Among these are: choroidal nevus, localized choroidal hemangioma, melanocytomas, choroidal metastatic carcinoma, congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium, late stage of age-related macular degeneration, focal retinal choroiditis, organized subretinal hemorrhage, retinal hemangiomas. However, studies comparing the clinical signs of all listed pseudomelanomas and small choroidal melanoma are few. The first part of the review describes the ophthalmoscopic picture of the small choroidal melanoma and pseudomelanomas.

Keywords

• small сhoroidal melanoma
• choroidal nevus
• circumscribed choroidal hemangioma
• melanocytoma
• choroidal metastatic carcinoma, congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium
• late stage of age-related macular degeneration
• posterior focal retinal choroiditis
• organized subretinal hemorrhage
• retinal hemangioma