Primary cysts of the iris pigment epithelium: Clinical features and natural course in 234 patients☆
Section snippets
Patients and methods
The records of all patients with primary IPE cysts examined on the Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital between January 1974 and December 1996 were retrospectively reviewed. Those patients with history of penetrating ocular trauma and those in whom IPE cysts were associated with iris nevus or iris melanoma were not included in the study.
The recorded variables included patient data (age, race, gender), affected eye, referring diagnosis, associated systemic and/or ocular disease, history of
Results
A total of 234 consecutive patients with primary IPE cysts were found. There were 144 females and 90 males. The cyst was classified as central in 6 patients (3%), midzonal in 50 patients (21%), peripheral in 170 patients (73%), and dislodged in 8 patients (3%). The patient demographics, laterality, and multiplicity of cysts per eye for each diagnostic group are summarized in Table 1.
Discussion
Primary cysts of the IPE have frequently been found on routine microscopic examination of eyes removed for other reasons.8 However, they are a peculiar clinical finding, probably related to their often-silent course, small size, lack of associated complications, and resemblance to solid tumors. Most cysts of the IPE come to the clinician’s attention during routine eye examination, when they may represent a diagnostic challenge considering they must be differentiated from malignant intraocular
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Supported by the Fundación Pedro Barriéde la Maza, La Coruãa, Spain (NL); the Eye Tumor Research Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (CLS); the Andres Soriano Cancer Research Foundation, Manila, Philippines (GM); and the Paul Kayser Award of Merit in Retina, Houston, Texas (JAS).