Malignant melanoma of choroid in a case of nevus of Ota.

A white woman with unilateral nevus of Ota presented with visual loss and an intraocular mass resembling a choroidal melanoma. Indirect ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography, ultrasonography, and radioactive phosphorus uptake corroborated the clinical impression and surgery was advised. Following enucleation, the specimen was examined with light microscopy, which revealed a mixed cell type malignant melanoma of the choroid. Electron microscopy disclosed the presence of premelanosomes in the episclera, indicating that the episcleral pigmentation is a result of melanocytic evolution. This paper represents the tenth report in the literature of choroidal melanoma occurring in a patient with nevus of Ota, and the first electron-microscopic study of an eye with this association of lesions.     

Malignant melanoma of the choroid in an infant with the dysplastic naevus syndrome

A 7-month-old Algerian boy with numerous skin naevi from birth was found to have a malignant melanoma of the choroid, giving symptoms from the age of 3 months. The ocular and cutaneous tumours were shown to be melanocytic by a battery of histochemical tests and by electron microscopy. The rarity of the case is discussed on basis of the literature, and it is concluded that the case is unique because of the early age at which both the ocular tumour and the dysplastic naevus syndrome occurred.     

Malignant melanoma of the choroid in neurofibromatosis.

A 60-year-old white woman with generalized neurofibromatosis and multiple melanocytic hamartomas of the iris developed an unusual choroidal mass, with secondary sensory retinal separation in the left eye. Ophthalmoscopically the tumor had a peculiar donut configuration that was caused by a large focus of central necrosis within a spindle B melanoma.     

Malignant melanoma of choroid

Four cases of malignant melanoma of the choroid are reported due to rarity of the condition in India. One of the cases presented with Naevus of Ota. All the cases had typical clinical and investigative features. All cases were enucleated. Histopathologically three of them were of mixed type and one was of the epithelioid type. Two of the cases were seen in patients below 40 years of age.     

Malignant melanoma of the choroid in a husband and wife.

A 52-year-old man was diagnosed as having a large malignant melanoma of the choroid in the right eye. Six years later his 58-year-old wife of almost 40 years was diagnosed as having a large malignant melanoma of the choroid in her left eye. In both patients the diagnosis was confirmed histologically following enucleation. Electron microscopy failed to reveal evidence of viral particles within the tumours. The implications of this unusual occurrence are discussed.     

Malignant melanoma of the choroid with vitiligo

An unusual case of an Asian patient with malignant melanoma of the choroid with vitiligo is reported. Other uncommon features of this case are metastasis to an extrahepatic site without liver metastasis and infiltration of the optic nerve.     

Malignant melanoma of choroid developing in the eye of a three-year-old boy.

An apparently normal, healthy 3-year-old boy developed redness of the left eye. An ophthalmologist discovered an intraocular tumor which he believed arose from the choroid. The child's 17-year-old mother developed osteosarcoma of the right femur during pregnancy and died a short while after his birth. Because of the rarity of malignant melanoma of the choroid in this age group, an exhaustive study was made resulting in firm evidence that this was probably a melanoma. The eye was enucleated. Pathologic study demonstrated a malignant melanoma with unusually pleomorphic cells.     

Malignant melanoma of the choroid in an 11-month-old infant.

A malignant melanoma of the choroid was observed in an 11-month-old fair-skinned Danish boy - one of the youngest cases ever published. There was no evidence of pre-existing melanosis of eyes or skin. The tumour showed histopathologically a typical "adult" pattern and was classified as a mixed tumour. The melanin content was marked. In some earlier reports on uveal tumours within the first year of life, pigmentation was sparse or lacking; a hypothesis has therefore previously been advanced: That melanomas are unable to produce melanin so early in life. The present case renders proof against this hypothesis.     

Malignant melanoma of the choroid in a mother and retinoblastoma in her son.

A 31-year-old woman was diagnosed as having a malignant melanoma of the choroid in the right eye. Twenty months later her 7-year-old son was diagnosed as having retinoblastoma in the right eye. Both diagnoses were confirmed histopathologically after enucleation. A chromosomal study revealed normal karyotypes in the son. The family history was positive for cancer of the stomach. The implications of this rare association are discussed.