[Choroid ganglioneuroma in childhood]

The authors report on a case of a 4 1/2-year-old male child, who was referred because of a convergent microstrabisms of the right eye combined with amblyopia and minimal anisometropia and progressive decrease of the visual function from 0.6 to 0.05 although occlussion-therapy was performed. Funduscopy showed a melanoma-like choroidal tumor temporal-inferior of the macula with shallow retinal detachment and severe cellular vitreal infiltration. Because of the progression the tumor was resected by the transscleral technique of Foulds (1983). Histology showed a ganglioneuroma of the choroid, which has not been reported in this localisation up to now. Usually it is found in the retroperitoneal area and in the mediastinum, specially in case of neurofibromatosis (Recklinghausen). This disease could not be objectified in this meanwhile 7-year-old boy. At the last control visual acuity was 1/20, ophthalmoscopy showed gross streaky depigmentation in the macular region, the retina was attached.