CLINICAL SCIENCES Choroidal Nevus Transformation Into Melanoma Analysis of 2514 Consecutive Cases

Results: The median tumor basal diameter was 5.0 mm and thickness was 1.5 mm. Nevus growth into melanoma occurred in 2%, 9%, and 13% of eyes at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. Factors predictive of growth into melanoma by multivariable analysis included tumor thickness greater than 2 mm (P .001), subretinal fluid (P = .002), symptoms (P = .002), orange pigment (P .001), tumor margin within 3 mm of the optic disc (P=.001), ultrasonographic hollowness (P .001), and halo absence (P=.009). A mnemonic device to recall risk factors of ocular melanoma is “To find small ocular melanoma using helpful hints,” representing thickness, fluid, symptoms, orange pigment, margin, ultrasonographic hollowness, and halo absence. The median hazard ratio for those with 1 to 2 risk factors was 3; for 3 or 4 factors, 5; for 5 to 6 factors, 9; and for all 7 factors, 21.