title: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of iris tumors in 100 consecutive cases: technique and complications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the technique and complications of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for iris tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, nonrandomized, single-center case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred eyes of 100 patients with diagnostically challenging iris tumors evaluated with FNAB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy technique and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of more than 1400 patients referred with an iris tumor over a 24-year period, 100 underwent FNAB for diagnostic purposes. The median patient age was 44 years. The median basal dimension of the lesion was 9.0 mm and median thickness was 2.5 mm. A limbal entry with transaqueous approach parallel to the iris was used in 100% of patients. Entry was from the superotemporal (52%) or inferotemporal (42%) direction. Needle gauge size was 22 (9%), 25 (55%), 27 (25%), or 30 (9%), depending on the friability and vascularity of the tumor. Adequate tumor sample was achieved in 99 eyes (99%). At the time of FNAB, the only immediate complication was partial hyphema (34%). Two weeks after FNAB, persistent hyphema was found in 6 eyes (6%), requiring surgical washout in 1 patient. There were no cases of recurrent hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, prolonged hypotony, lens damage, endophthalmitis, or extraocular tumor seeding. At mean follow-up of 5 years, there was no incident of tumor recurrence on the iris, along the needle tract, or on the corneal or epibulbar surface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using our technique, FNAB for diagnostically challenging iris tumors can achieve high yield with relatively few complications.
authors.affiliation: Ocular Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Manquez
authors.forename: Hormoz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ehya
authors.forename: Arman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mashayekhi
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Danzig
authors.forename: Jerry A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shields
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006988:Hyphema / Q000209:etiology; D007223:Infant; D007498:Iris / Q000473:pathology*; D015811:Iris Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies