Two clinical types of intraocular malignant lymphoma of oculocerebral origin

We observed 16 eyes of 10 cases with intraocular malignant lymphoma originating either in the eye (8 cases) or the central nervous system (2 cases). All cases had steroid-resistant chronic uveitis, presenting either vitreous opacity or yellow-whitish subretinal exudates. In the eye- originating cases, intraocular malignant lymphoma was diagnosed in 4 cases by vitreous biopsy, 1 by aqueous tap, 1 by autopsy, and 2 by clinical diagnosis. The 2 other cases were diagnosed on the basis of brain tumor. Irradiation to the eye was effective in 8 cases, but 2 cases showed recurrence after 1 year. In 7 of the eye-originating cases, death resulted from ocular lymphoma within 3 and a half years. We suggest that intraocular malignant lymphoma originating in the eye or the central nervous system can be classified into vitreous opacity type and yellow-whitish subretinal exudate type. It is necessary to differentiate between these two types.