[Masquerade syndrome-an interdisciplinary challenge]

The masquerade syndrome is a differential diagnostic concept in which neoplastic, and less commonly nonneoplastic, diseases imitate periocular or intraocular inflammatory conditions, thereby masking the underlying pathology. This often results in delayed diagnosis of the underlying disease. An 85-year-old patient presented with intermediate uveitis and visual impairment. Further diagnostic evaluation revealed an axillary lymph node metastasis from a malignant melanoma that had been excised more than 20 years earlier. This case illustrates that inflammatory ocular symptoms in patients with malignant melanoma can be paraneoplastic and may indicate tumor recurrence or progression.