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MALIGNANT MELANOMAS OF THE HUMAN CHOROID AND CILIARY BODY
Author(s) -
Egeberg J.,
Jensen O. A.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section a pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0365-4184
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1972.tb00313.x
Subject(s) - ultrastructure , epithelioid cell , choroid , pathology , ciliary body , anaplasia , anatomy , cell type , neural crest , biology , immunohistochemistry , medicine , cell , microbiology and biotechnology , retina , neuroscience , embryo , genetics
The ultrastructure of fifty malignant melanomas of the choroid and ciliary body has been studied over a period of ten years. Based upon twenty tumours embedded in epoxy resins, a comparison between their light microscopical morphology and ultrastructure revealed that the types established by Callender have characteristic ultrastructural features. The material comprised two spindle A, four spindle B, twelve mixed, one epithelioid, and one fascicular tumour. The fascicular tumour is the first tumour ultrastructurally studied belonging to this cell type. Its ultrastructure may support previous suggestions that the cells have their origin in special parts of the neural crest. In view of the prognostic practice of grouping together the fascicular and spindle B tumours, it is remarkable that cells from both these tumours contained cytoplasmic filaments not observed in spindle A or in the epithelioid tumours, and not previously found in choroidal malignant melanomas. The epithelioid tumour was found to be composed of only one type of cell, whereas the tumours of the mixed type appeared to be linked together as a group only by their differing from other types, although features of either spindle or epithelioid cells could be seen to a certain extent in some cells. This type probably expresses a certain degree of anaplasia and is not a mixture of spindle and epithelioid cells. The authors finally sum up the ultrastructural features which they consider characteristic of highly differentiated and of anaplastic malignant choroidal melanomas.