Uveal melanoma in children and adolescents
C. C. Barr, I. W. McLean and L. E. Zimmerman
Five-year survival data were available in 78 cases originally classified as
uveal melanomas in patients less than 20 years old. Forty-two were
malignant melanomas arising from the choroid and/or ciliary body; 13
patients from this group died of metastatic disease. Factors that
significantly correlated with fatality were a red, painful eye, extraocular
extension at enucleation, basal tumor diameter greater than 10 mm,
increased mitotic activity, and tumor necrosis. There were 36 iridic
tumors; nine were reclassified as nevi. Of the 27 patients with iridic
melanomas, only four died of metastases. The predominant factors relating
to fatal outcome were glaucoma, extension of tumor into the ciliary body,
diffuse growth, deep angle invasion, scleral invasion by tumor cells, and
increased mitotic activity. Except for their relative rarity, uveal
melanomas in children and adolescents did not differ significantly from
their counter-parts in adults.
