Causative & risk factors
The exact cause of eye melanoma is not known. Factors which increase the risk of eye melanoma are male gender, advancing age and having a light eye color. Exposure to ultraviolet rays may raise your risk of developing eye melanoma.
Clinical presentation
In most cases an eye melanoma is asymptomatic. If at all it produces any symptoms, it causes a dark spot in the eyes and blurring of the vision. The person may see floater or flashing lights and his peripheral vision may be lost.
Investigations
An eye exam will be carried out by means of a slit lamp microscope or an opthalmoscope. Imaging studies such as an ultrasound of the eye and an angiogram of the blood vessels of the eye are carried out. Occasionally biopsy of the eye tissue is carried out.
If metastasis is suspected, various imaging tests (USG, CT or MRI) and blood tests are carried out.
Treatment
Treatment for eye melanoma will depends upon size of the melanoma, its growth rate and the general health status of the patient.
Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy or both.
Small melanomas are excised along with small area of healthy tissue. In case of large melanomas, surgery is done to remove entire eye called as enucleation.
Occasionally laser treatment is used in combination with radiation therapy.
