Clinical applications of chromosome analysis, from fine needle aspiration biopsies, of posterior uveal melanomas

Purpose An accurate assessment of prognosis is essential to the clinical assessment of malignancy. In posterior uveal melanoma specific chromosome alterations have been shown to correlate significantly with prognosis; but the procedure is restricted to patients treated surgically, and in consequence has been limited mainly to large tumours. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) may provide sufficient material to perform this technique, and allow its use in the in situ assessment of tumours, including small lesions. To determine the feasibility of this approach we have conducted a pilot study using enucleated tumours. Methods Ten cases of posterior uveal melanoma were studied. In each instance both a test FNAB and a standard tissue preparation were conducted, and the results compared. FNABs were obtained from enucleated tumours by aspirating cells using a 5 ml syringe with a .25 gauge needle; cells were injected into phosphate-buffered saline, spun down and established in vitro . Conventional short-term cultures were established from tumour tissue samples, which were minced prior to the establishment of cultures. Cytogenetic analysis was performed following standard protocols. Results Of the 10 cases examined, full chromosome analysis was obtainable from all standard tissue short-term cultures. Cytogenetics was successful from cultures of 6 FNAB, with 2 further FNAB producing partial analyses. No major clonal differences were determined between the two procedures. Conclusions Cytogenetic analysis of FNAB appears to be entirely feasible for posterior uveal melanomas, and may permit an accurate in situ assessment of tumours, including small lesions.