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Updated: May 2, 2026
Implantation and Evaluation of Melanoma in the Murine Choroid via Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: December 2, 2022
Tapioca melanoma of the iris without iris heterochromia
Austin Bach1, Sara McGowan, Aaron S Gold
1*DO, MPH †OD ‡MD §CRA ∥BSc(Hons), CDOS **MD, MBA Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (AB), Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida and Larkin Community Hospital, South Miami, Florida; Malawi School of Optometry (SMc), Mzuzu University, Malawi; Murray Ocular Oncology & Retina (ASG, VMV, ACW, FJE, TGM), Miami, Florida; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (JMT, JAB-M, SRD), Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida; and Florida Lions Ocular Pathology Laboratory (SRD), Miami, Florida.
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.
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