Pathology and genetics of uveal melanoma

Uveal melanoma is the most common malignant tumour of the adult eye. Around half of all uveal melanoma patients will eventually die of their disease. There are a number of effective options to treat the primary tumour locally, but once the tumour has metastasised, there are no curative therapies. Traditionally, the diagnosis of uveal melanoma and prognostic prediction was based solely on the clinical presentation and detailed histopathological evaluation. Recent genetic findings have shed light on the biology of these tumours, and led to the development of genetic tests that can help assess their malignant potential and prognosis. The genes, proteins and pathways that have been (and continue to be) discovered will likely result in novel targeted therapeutic approaches with high efficacy and low toxicity. In this review, we summarise the clinical, pathological and genetic features of uveal melanoma, with emphasis on recent discoveries.