Validation of MOLES score for small choroidal melanomas: impact of assuming enlargement for telemedicine in…

Cohort studyEye (London, England)· Apr 2026

Validation of MOLES score for small choroidal melanomas: impact of assuming enlargement for telemedicine in sizable lesions.

Beatrice Gallo, Jared Ching, Bertil Damato, Mandeep S Sagoo

Ocular OncologyCohort studyDiagnosisQ1IF 3.3

Revised MOLES score achieves 100% sensitivity for detecting small choroidal melanoma.

Validation of MOLES score for small choroidal melanomas: impact of assuming enlargement for telemedicine in sizable lesions.

Beatrice Gallo … Mandeep S Sagoo

Eye (London, England) · Apr 2026 · Q1 in Ophthalmology

Background

The MOLES scoring system was developed to help non-experts estimate the likelihood of malignancy in melanocytic choroidal tumours according to mushroom shape, orange pigment, large size, enlargement, and subretinal fluid.

Methods

Clinical records and multimodal imaging of patients with clinically diagnosed small choroidal melanoma (with no histopathological analysis) treated with ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) plaque brachytherapy were retrospectively reviewed.

n = 142 patients

Results

everyone with this cancer was correctly flagged for referral, none missed

Original MOLES

97.9%

Modified MOLES

100%

More results

The cohort comprised 142 patients (mean age 60 ± 13.6 years) with small choroidal melanoma.

Mean tumour thickness and largest basal diameter (largest basal diameter) were 1.9 ± 0.5 mm (range 0.4-2.5 mm) and 7.5 ± 1.9 mm (range 3.5-15 mm), respectively.

“

Conclusion

The revised MOLES score increases sensitivity in diagnosing choroidal melanoma from 97.9% to 100% and is therefore a useful aid to patient management.

Validation of MOLES score for small choroidal melanomas: impact of assuming enlargement for telemedicine in sizable lesions.

Validation of MOLES score for small choroidal melanomas: impact of assuming enlargement for telemedicine in sizable lesions.

Related papers