[Indocyanine green angiography in choroid metastases].

Background: Up to now the diagnosis of choroidal tumors was mainly based on ophthalmoscopy and ultrasound examination. Indocyanine green angiography allows the identification of vascular patterns in these tumors, which could be helpful in the differential diagnosis. The aim of the study was to characterize the staining patterns of choroidal metastases.
Methods: In the years 1996-2000 we performed ICG-A of 15 choroidal metastasis using the scanning laser ophthalmoscope from Rodenstock. The mean tumor height was 3.7 mm (2.0-9.0). These angiographies were compared to the angiographies of 38 choroidal malignant melanomas with a mean height of 3.6 mm (1.4-6-6).
Results: All metastases showed a blockage of the background staining and a patchy staining of the tumor surface. Intratumoral vessels could be detected in 13% of all cases of metastases. The choroidal melanomas examined showed a blockage of the background staining in all cases and tumor vessels in 89%.
Conclusion: The angiographic picture of the metastatic lesions was characteristic. Intratumoral vessels could not be detected using ICG-A. Most of the metastases showed a patchy staining of the tumor surface.