Clinical Analysis of Metastatic Intraocular Malignancy

Kong, B D; Lee, T W

Abstract

Intraocular metastatic tumor is a common entity among intraocular tumors and since it signifies systemic metastasis the prognosis is very poor and frequently the metastatic invasion into the eye is discovered before the original nest site. We evaluated fifteen patients who visited the outpatient Department of ophthalmology from 1990 to 1998. They were evaluated retrospectively on the parameters of eye symptoms, original site of lesion, the difference between the time of the diagnosis of intraocular tumor and the diagnosis of the original lesion. The most common symptom presented was decrease in visual acuity in twelve patients. Two patients had ocular pain, and no specific symptoms were presented in one patient. The site of metastasis in fourteen patients was choroid and the iris in one patient. Among the 6 male patients, the sites of origin were found in the lung for 3 patients and in gastrointestinal tract for the other 3 patients. And among the 9 female patients, the sites of origin were found in the lung for 5 patients, in the breast for 3 patients and in the thyroid for 1 patient. Among the 15 patients, the diagnosis of the intraocular metastasis before the original lesion accounted for six patients and the average period consumed before the diagnosis of the original site was an one month.