Clinical procedures for intraocular lymphomas

Abstract

The classification of intraocular lymphomas is based on their anatomical location. They are divided into uveal lymphomas with involvement of the choroid, ciliary body or iris and vitreoretinal lymphomas with isolated or combined involvement of the vitreous body and/or retina. Over the last decades it has become increasingly possible to work out the clinical and pathobiological features of the various subtypes, thereby reducing the diagnostic hurdles and creating improved treatment options. A summary of the various types of intraocular lymphoma in terms of clinical features, diagnostics, treatment and prognosis is given as well as recommendations for follow-up care. A selective literature search was carried out on the subject of intraocular lymphomas using PubMed and Google Scholar. Intraocular lymphomas affect different structures, so that the symptoms can also be very different. The diagnostic spectrum ranges from typical ocular examination methods to sample biopsies with subsequent cytological, histological and molecular pathological processing. The treatment pillars available are percutaneous irradiation and intravitreal drug administration as local treatment and systemic treatment or acombination of systemic and local treatment. The prognosis depends mainly on the subtype of the lymphoma and the extent of the infestation when the diagnosis is confirmed. Even though some effective treatment options are now available, it has not yet been possible to significantly reduce the mortality rate. Many different options are available for the diagnostics and treatment of intraocular lymphomas, which require close interdisciplinary cooperation. The further developments in the field of molecular pathology allow afaster and more accurate diagnosis and could open up new treatment options in the future.