Undetected Ocular Mass as a Critical Alert for Identifying Uveal Metastasis

Purpose: We report our experience of diagnosing and managing metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lungs with primary manifestation to the iris and the ciliary body with the purpose to raise clinical suspicion for systemic malignancy in the presence of undetected ocular mass along with other ocular manifestations. Observations: An 82-year-old male presented with a deterioration of vision and intense pain in the right eye since the day before. With his right eye, he suddenly discerned hand movements only. Intraocular pressure in the right eye was increased. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed a ciliary injection and hemorrhagic mass overlying the temporal half of the iris. The L-9 ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) scan documented the tumor completely infiltrating the iris and the ciliary body. We suspected a metastatic eye lesion. CT chest imaging showed a solid expansive formation of the right lung. At the Oncology Department, a fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed under the control of MSCT, which confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. Conclusions and Importance: Although very rarely, pathological changes in the uvea may indicate a metastatic occurrence that needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis. It is important to undergo a wide ophthalmological examination, which in this case included a standardized A-scan echography and UBM, which confirmed the suspicion of a tumor lesion, followed by cooperation with other medical professionals in order to discover a primary diagnosis.