Juxtapapillary Retinal Pigment Epithelial Tumor

Abstract

ADENOCARCINOMAS of the retinal pigment epithelium are among the rarest of intraocular tumors.^1,2 They are usually diagnosed by the pathologist after the eye has been enucleated as a suspected malignant melanoma or because of unrelated ocular abnormalities, and must be differentiated from the more common focal mass produced by reactive hyperplasia of the retinal pigment epithelium which is often initiated by trauma or focal inflammation. The histologic differentiation of true neoplasms from reactive hyperplasias of the retinal pigment epithelium is often difficult to discern; even for experienced pathologists.^2,3 The report of a case which follows exemplifies this difficulty. Report of a Case A 26-year-old white man was seen by an optometrist on Oct 2, 1969, with complaints of decreased right visual acuity and a superior-temporal visual field defect. An intraocular mass was visualized and the patient referred to the ophthalmology clinic. Five years prior to admission, the patient