Metastatic choroidal tumors in Taiwan: an 11-year experience.
OBJECTIVE
To report the clinical features, the primary sites, and overall prognosis of choroidal metastasis.


METHODS
Observational case series.


METHODS
Included were all cases of choroidal metastases evaluated at National Taiwan University Hospital over an 11-year period. Patients with blood or lymphoproliferative diseases were excluded. Clinical features were correlated with disease entity and prognosis.


RESULTS
A total of 36 patients with choroidal metastases were identified. The mean age was 53.9 +/- 12.8 years. The mean follow-up period was 5.1 +/- 4.2 months. The primary sites of tumors were lung in 18 (50%), breast in eight (22.2%), gastrointestinal tract in three (8.3%), pancreas in two (5.6%), ovary in two (5.6%), kidney in one (2.8%), liver in one (2.8%), and unknown in one (2.8%). Twenty-two patients (61%) died during follow-up. Mean life span after diagnosis was 4.3 months in these 22 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Lung and breast cancers represent more than two thirds of primary tumor sites. Choroidal metastases may indicate terminal status of the underlying malignancy and short survival time.
Wang
Tsung-Jen
TJ
Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yang
Chung-May
CM
Ho
Tzyy-Chang
TC
Huang
Jen-Shang
JS
Lin
Chang-Pin
CP
Yang
Chang-Hao
CH
Chen
Muh-Shy
MS
Lin
Luke Long-Kuang
LL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology