Related Experiment Videos
Lymph node metastases arising from uveal melanoma.
Navid Ardjomand1, Peter Komericki, Gerald Langmann
1Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria. navid.ardjomand@meduni-graz.at
Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift
|August 2, 2005
Summary
This case report details a rare instance of ciliary body melanoma metastasizing to lymph nodes following glaucoma surgery. It highlights the importance of excluding malignancy before performing procedures like trabeculectomy in cases of unilateral pigment dispersion.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Oncology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Uveal melanomas typically metastasize via the bloodstream due to the eye's lack of lymphatic vessels.
- Pigment dispersion syndrome can present with glaucoma, sometimes requiring surgical intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report an extremely rare case of ciliary body melanoma with lymph node metastasis.
- To investigate a potential pathway for metastasis following glaucoma surgery.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 40-year-old female with unilateral pigment dispersion and glaucoma.
- Surgical interventions included transscleral cyclophotocoagulation and trabeculectomy.
- Enucleation for presumed ciliary body ring melanoma, confirmed by histology.
Main Results:
- The patient developed ipsilateral preauricular and submandibular lymph node metastases six months post-enucleation.
- Histopathology confirmed ciliary body ring melanoma.
- The patient succumbed to metastatic disease two months later.
Conclusions:
- Lymph node metastasis from ciliary body melanoma is exceptionally rare.
- Glaucoma surgery, specifically trabeculectomy, may create a pathway for tumor seeding into conjunctival lymphatics.
- Malignancy screening is crucial in unilateral pigment dispersion cases before undertaking fistulating glaucoma operations.