Anterior uveal melanomas and intraocular pressure

A study of 11 consecutive patients with anterior uveal melanomas from one institution demonstrated the wide variation in the clinical and histopathologic manifestations of the tumors. The intraocular pressure in the involved eye compared with the fellow eye was elevated in five cases, equal in four, and reduced in two. Histologic studies suggest that the anterior uveal melanomas influence intraocular pressure through their effect on the balance between aqueous production and outflow. Three of the four patients with ciliary body melanomas and glaucoma died of metastatic disease within 3 years of enucleation.