Malignant melanoma of the orbit in a case of oculodermal melanosis. (Naevus of Ota).

A 64-year-old woman was admitted to the Newcastle upon Tyne General Hospital (under the care of Mr. Fenton Braithwaite) with a one year's history of progressive protrusion of her right eye. She had pigmentation of the skin of her right lower lid and temporal region, melanosis bulbi, and unilateral proptosis resulting in restriction of ocular movements. The right orbit was decompressed and a biopsy of orbital tissue showed fat and fibrous tissue only. She was re-admitted to hospital six months later with a recurrence of the right proptosis and a soft tumour was felt in the right temporal region, the lateral wall of the orbit having been removed at the previous operation. In view of these findings the right orbital contents were removed en bloc with the temporalis muscle and the pigmented area of temporal skin. Ten months later the patient died from congestive cardiac failure and multiple secondary deposits of melanoma. It is not known whether a postmortem examination was performed.