UVEAL MELANOMA EXTENSION TO THE OPTIC CHIASM.

PURPOSE: Case report describing a patient who developed intracranial extension of a uveal melanoma through the optic nerve.

METHODS

We reviewed the patient's medical history and images. A 41-year-old woman who was blind in one eye had a uveal melanoma that extended through the optic nerve into the optic chiasm and involved the hypophysis. The patient then developed metastasis.

RESULTS

The patient developed uveal melanoma extension into the optic chiasm through the optic nerve resulting in a visual field defect in the fellow eye.

CONCLUSION

Uveal melanoma extension through the optic nerve is a devastating complication, which occurs anywhere from 0.6% to 3.7% in patients with uveal melanoma. If enucleation of the affected eye is performed, a representative portion of the optic nerve should be excised to decrease the risk of extension. Patients with phthisical eyes should undergo appropriate imaging techniques to prevent a missed diagnosis of optic nerve involvement.