Tapioca melanoma of the iris without iris heterochromia

Optom Vis Sci. 2014 Apr;91(4 Suppl 1):S20-4. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000000187.

Abstract

Purpose: A case of a teenage girl with tapioca melanoma of the iris is presented. This case is unusual, as the patient did not have heterochromia and did not present with elevated intraocular pressure.

Case report: A 14-year-old female patient presented with an amelanotic, multinodular, multifocal lesion of the right iris. Pathology confirmed a diagnosis of tapioca melanoma using immunohistologic staining. The patient underwent enucleation of her right eye and has been free of metastatic disease 3 years later.

Conclusions: Tapioca melanoma of the iris must be included among the other differential diagnoses when examining patients with amelanotic iris lesions, even when iris heterochromia is not clearly evident.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Eye Enucleation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Iris Diseases / pathology*
  • Iris Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Iris Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Iris Neoplasms / surgery
  • Melanoma, Amelanotic / diagnostic imaging
  • Melanoma, Amelanotic / pathology*
  • Melanoma, Amelanotic / surgery
  • Pigmentation Disorders / pathology*
  • Ultrasonography

Supplementary concepts

  • Heterochromia iridis