Case Series: Different Presentations of Iris Melanoma-Potential Masquerade of Benign and Malignant

Iris melanoma and iris nevi can be challenging to distinguish clinically. This case series provides unique insight into the rare condition and variable clinical presentations of iris melanoma.

This study aimed to highlight the varying clinical presentations of iris melanoma and to demonstrate the overlapping features of melanoma and nevi.

This case series includes five patients of varying age and sex who presented to clinic with pigmented iris lesions. These five patients have differing timeline to presentation and very different clinical presentations of their lesions. Clinical evaluation was based around the established "ABDCEF" guide for the assessment of malignant risk in iris lesions. The presentation of each lesion is discussed in relation to this guide and the experienced clinician's clinical suspicion of malignancy. When comparing the clinical suspicion with histological analysis, after biopsy, the result may be unexpected. Notably, initially benign nevi may transform into melanoma over time. These five cases were managed on an individual basis because the management and prognosis of iris melanomas vary significantly. Importantly, iris melanotic lesions have variable metastatic risk based on cytology and genetic predisposition. Informed consent was obtained from all the patients, institutional approval was obtained, and no identifiable health information is included in this case series.

When presented with a pigmented iris lesion, clinicians must be vigilant with regular monitoring and have a low threshold for biopsy in pigmented lesions of high clinical suspicion.