Purpose: To report the clinical course of patients with diagnostic confirmation of choroidal lymphoma by anterior chamber paracentesis and aqueous fluid flow cytometry.
Methods: Single-center case series.
Results: Two patients with choroidal thickening were suspected to have choroidal lymphoma based on clinical findings and ultrasonographic evidence of extrascleral extension. In each case, anterior chamber paracentesis was performed due to the observation of the associated anterior chamber reaction. Flow cytometry detected the presence of a clonal B-cell population consistent with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In one case, external beam radiation therapy resulted in a complete therapeutic response. More invasive methods of ocular tissue biopsy were avoided.
Conclusions: Definitive diagnosis in suspected cases of choroidal lymphoma remains challenging. Ocular fluid sampling may be a low morbidity and convenient alternative for confirming a suspected diagnosis in cases associated with cellular infiltration of the intraocular fluids.
Keywords: Anterior chamber paracentesis; aqueous; choroidal biopsy; choroidal lymphoma; cytology; fine needle aspiration; flow cytometry; immunohistochemistry; intraocular lymphoma; minimally invasive diagnostic techniques; primary vitreoretinal lymphoma; uveal lymphoma; vitreous.