Study reveals key factors behind delayed and lost follow-up in patients with choroidal nevus

Patients diagnosed with choroidal nevus who are younger, have fewer medical comorbidities, better visual acuity, and less suspicious tumor features are more likely to experience loss of follow-up, according to a presentation at ASRS 2024.

The study analyzed 825 patients with choroidal nevus, categorizing them into appropriate follow-up (AFU, 426 patients), delayed follow-up (DFU, 317 patients), and LFU (82 patients).

The study revealed that LFU patients were significantly younger, with a mean age of 44.5 years, compared to DFU (53.3 years) and AFU (59.7 years) patients. Overall, 64.6% of LFU patients were diagnosed by optometrists during routine visits (56.1%). In addition, LFU patients had fewer medical comorbidities, a lower Charlson morbidity index, and were less likely to have a history of cancer. Higher visual acuity (20/50 or better) was more common in LFU and DFU (93.9% and 94.6%, respectively) patients compared to AFU (88.5%) patients. In addition, AFU patients had larger tumors in terms of both diameter and thickness compared to DFU and LFU patients.

These insights underscore the importance of targeted patient counseling to ensure consistent follow-up for those diagnosed with choroidal nevus.

Reference
Xu T, et al. Factors Associated With Delayed and Loss of Follow-up in Patients Diagnosed With Choroidal Nevus. Poster presented at: ASRS 42nd Annual Meeting: July 17–20, 2024.