The role of retinal and choroidal biopsy

Abstract

AbstractChorio‐retinal biopsy is relatively infrequently used for the diagnosis of infiltrative processes of the posterior segment. It is used in cases where local and systemic clinical features are insufficient to determine whether the infiltration is inflammatory, infective or neoplastic. In most of the few cases described in the literature the aim is to exclude or diagnose lymphoma. The cases published to date suggest the diagnostic pick‐up rate is good relative to vitreous biopsy and it is possible that the diagnosis is confirmed from Chorioretinal tissue biopsy when the vitreous biopsy from the same operation is negative. Diagnoses of many types of pathology including viral and non‐viral retinitis, lymphoma, tuberculosis and non malignant inflammatory infiltration have all been described in the literature. In the majority of cases reported in the literature the diagnosis of lymphoma is clearly made or excluded definitively. The technique of carrying out the surgery has been well described and the reported morbidity of the procedure is minimal. In this presentation The technique, surgical issues and complications will be discussed as well as the outcomes from the published literature concerning these cases.