Page 28 - The Freckled Eye - Book

Though choroidal melanoma is infrequent, it is really the highly common eye

cancer in adults. It frequently develops in people who are middle-aged or

older.

Melanomas commonly develop in the skin. But they can as well develop in

places where specific cells have the pigment melanin. The choroid is one

such sample.

Choroidal melanoma is the extremely common major intra-ocular malignant

tumor and second highly common spot of ten malignant melanoma spots in

the body. Present choroidal melanoma diagnosis is centered on both the

clinical experience of the consultant or specialist and current diagnostic

methods such as A- and B-ultrasonography scans, indirect ophthalmoscopy,

transillumination, and fundus fluorescein angiography.

The ocular tissue where these tumors develop, the uvea, is a closely

pigmented layer that structures part of the wall of the eye. The uvea is split

into the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid. The choroid lies beneath the

retina and its pigment epithelium all through the ocular fundus. The major role

of the uvea is to supply oxygen and other nourishment to the well

metabolically challenging retinal photoreceptors. It is mainly a vascular tissue,

with stroma and fenestrated capillaries having melanocytes.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS CHOROIDAL MELANOMA

Choroidal melanomas continue to be asymptomatic for a long period of time;

they might be discovered incidentally in the course of ophthalmoscopy.

Generally, the more forward their starting point, the longer the setback of any