Ultrasound can detect ciliary body melanocytosis

This retrospective case series found that ciliary body involvement in ocular/oculodermal melanocytosis presents as increased thickness and higher ultrasound reflectivity on ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). The authors conclude that these regions are likely to have a higher risk of developing uveal melanoma and that UBM is helpful in imaging clinically undetectable areas of melanocytosis involving the ciliary body.

The authors reviewed the charts and images of twelve patients with unilateral ocular/ oculodermal melanocytosis who underwent UBM of the ciliary body. The contralateral eye of each patient was used as an internal control.

All patients showed unilateral diffuse pigmentation involving episclera and anterior chamber angle. The iris showed diffuse pigmentation in 10 cases and sectorial in two.

Mean ciliary body thickness of affected eyes was 0.581 mm compared with 0.475 mm in the contralateral eye (P < 0.001). All affected ciliary bodies showed hyperflectivity compared to the contralateral eyes.