Orbital melanoma

Primary or secondary orbital melanomas are extremely rare tumors; they represent less than 1% of primary orbital neoplasms. Over 90% of primary orbital melanomas arise from melanocytes (congenital ocular melanosis, oculodermal melanosis). In the Department of Ophthalmology, Comenius University, Bratislava, in period 2001-2007, a total number of 79 patients with uveal melanoma (dg. C69) were treated with radical surgery, combined techniques or isolated stereotactic radiosurgery, 45 (57%) patients with ciliary body and choroidal melanomas were treated with primary enucleation, 34 (43%) patients were managed with combined techniques (parsplana vitrectomy with endoresection, brachytherapy plus stereotactic radiosurgery) or with "conservative treatment", namely with stereotactic radiosurgery alone. In group of melanoma patients, primary orbital melanoma was present only in 1 case (1 %) (Fig. 4, Ref. 5).