[Is iris melanoma really a nevus?]

In recent years several investigators have reached the conclusion that the prognosis of melanoma of the iris is related to the cell type of the tumor. Overall mortality ranges from 3.0-3.6%, but there is no correlation between the clinical manifestation of the tumor, its microscopic appearance, or the results of angiography. The clinical behavior of histologically benign tumors may be malignant, with penetration through the trabeculum into the ciliary body and sclera, and there may even be recurrence following excision of the tumor. We present 2 women, 20 and 59 years old, respectively, with melanoma of the iris with malignant behavior. However, in 1 of them the microscopic picture was completely benign, although the tumor had penetrated into the angle of the anterior chamber and had caused severe secondary glaucoma.