Optometry Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Optometry, including details on myopia, optometric practice, therapy.

Choroidal osteoma: evidence of progression and decalcification over 20 years.

Chen J, Lee L, Gass JD

School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. jc.chen@qut.edu.au

Choroidal osteoma is a rare, benign, ossifying tumour of the choroid of unknown aetiology. In contrast to other types of intraocular ossification, choroidal osteoma is found typically in young healthy females in the second or third decades of life with no history of systemic or ocular disease. Choroidal osteoma is a deep, pale yellow lesion with distinct geographic borders at the juxtapapillary or macular region, with branching 'spider' vessels on the surface of the tumour. These features should help differentiate choroidal osteoma from other types of intraocular tumour and the diagnosis can be confirmed with ultrasonography and computerised tomography. Here we report an initially unilateral case of choroidal osteoma, which decalcified over 20 years but during the same period the fellow eye also developed a choroidal osteoma to become a bilateral case. Despite the benign nature of the tumour, vision may be compromised by gradual atrophy of the overlying retina, serous retinal detachment, accumulation of sub-retinal fluid and sub-retinal haemorrhage associated with choroidal neovascularisation. Frequent examinations are recommended for patients with choroidal osteoma, for early detection of a subretinal neovascular membrane and potential treatment with laser photocoagulation.

Published 23 February 2006 in Clin Exp Optom, 89(2): 90-4.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Optometry Research Today. All Rights Reserved.