How is the diagnosis of choroidal melanoma made?
Choroidal melanoma is diagnosed during an examination of the eye by an ophthalmologist. Your eye doctors are able to recognize a choroidal melanoma by the degree of pigmentation of the tumor, by its shape and location, and by other features observed in an eye examination. Unlike tumors in other parts of the body, choroidal melanoma is directly visible through the “window” provided by the pupil. Most of the time, the ophthalmologist can be nearly certain of the diagnosis from clinical appearance, photographs, and ultrasound pictures. Therefore, biopsy, which is often indicated to diagnose tumors in other parts of the body, is avoided.
