Malignant melanomas of the iris.

The recognition of iris melanoma is important because a number of benign lesions clinically resemble these tumors. In this article, the epidemiological, clinical and histopathological features, treatment modalities, and prognosis of 41 iris melanoma patients, seen between 1964 and 1996 were evaluated. Of the patients, 20 were men and 21 women. Their mean age was 44.6 years. After determining the size, localization, and extension of the tumor, the management of choice was observation in 9, sector iridectomy in 15, iridocyclectomy in 6 and enucleation in 11 of the patients. During the follow-up, enucleation was also required in 6 and iridocyclectomy in 1 of the 7 patients who were in the observation or sector iridectomy group initially. Histopathologic examination revealed spindle cell in 27, mixed cell in 6 and epithelioid cell type melanomas in 2 of the 35 cases who underwent iridectomy, iridocyclectomy, and/or enucleation. The mean follow-up was 3.2 years and the mortality rate was found to be 2.4% during this period. One patient who died of metastases had epithelioid cell type melanoma.