Transretinal biopsy via 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for retinal and choroidal tumors: cytopathological results, surgical complications, and patient outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate the cytopathological results, surgical complications, and patient outcomes after transretinal biopsy (TRB) for diagnosis of retinal/choroidal tumors METHODS: Records of 40 cases who underwent TRB via 23-gauge (23 G) pars plana vitrectomy between March 2011 and March 2020 were reviewed.

Study Design: Retrospective.

Results: Twenty-six (65.0%) cases were women and 14 (35.0%) were men. The mean age at diagnosis was 57.2 (range: 18-83) years. The mean tumor base diameter was 12.0×9.8 mm and the mean tumor thickness was 4.9 mm. According to cytopathological examination, 29 (72.5%) cases had choroidal melanoma, 2 (5.0%) had non-small cell lung cancer metastasis, 1 (2.5%) had adenoma of retinal pigment epithelium, 1 (2.5%) had small cell lung cancer metastasis, 1 (2.5%) had invasive breast cancer metastasis, 1 (2.5%) had retinal astrocytic hamartoma, and 1 (2.5%) had pseudoneoplastic gliosis. Cytopathological examination of 4 (10.0%) cases revealed findings consistent with macular and extramacular degeneration. Postoperative complications were mild vitreous hemorrhage in 16 (40.0%) cases, gradually worsening cataract in 4 (11.8%), retinal detachment in 1 (2.5%), hyphema in 1 (2.5%), glaucoma in 1 (2.5%), and macular hole in 1 (2.5%). During the mean 11.1 (range: 1-55) months follow-up, 1 (3.4%) patient with choroidal melanoma developed liver metastasis. All patients were alive at the end of follow-up.

Conclusions: TRB using 23 G pars plana vitrectomy can be used to make the cytopathologic diagnosis of retinal/choroidal tumors whenever the clinical diagnosis is not certain or in cases with known diagnosis to obtain information on cell type/cytogenetics. In our series, the most common diagnosis after cytopathologic examination was choroidal melanoma.