A Short Atlas of Intraocular Tumors

The evaluation of intraocular tumors differs from almost all other oncologic evaluations because there is little reliance on tissue diagnosis. Definitive therapies such as enucleation and radiation are usually based on the results of ophthalmoscopy and a limited number of ancillary studies without the aid of biopsy. Although biopsies can be performed on most intraocular tumors, the ocular morbidity associated with these procedures is usually not worth the added benefit of a tissue diagnosis. The limited role of intraocular biopsy reflects the high degree of confidence that exists with interpretation of clinical findings. The single most important diagnostic study is visual inspection of the tumor with the slit lamp and/or ophthalmoscope. For this reason, representative illustrations of the most common intraocular tumors are presented.