rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2009;93:641-644 doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.145664
  • Clinical science
    • Original Article

CNS metastasis from malignant uveal melanoma: a clinical and histopathological characterisation

  1. S K Holfort1,
  2. J Lindegaard1,
  3. P Isager2,
  4. J U Prause1,
  5. S Heegaard1
  1. 1
    Eye Pathology Section, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  2. 2
    Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Centre for Cancer Documentation, Department of Prevention and Documentation, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark
  1. Dr S Heegaard, Eye Pathology Section, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Frederik V’s Vej 11, 1. 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; sthe{at}sund.ku.dk
  • Accepted 18 November 2008
  • Published Online First 17 December 2008

Abstract

Aim: To characterise uveal melanoma that has metastasised to the central nervous system (CNS).

Methods: Review of 2365 patients constituting all patients diagnosed as having primary uveal melanoma in Denmark during the period 1943–1997. All patients with malignant uveal melanoma and metastasis to the CNS were identified. For each patient, clinical and histopathological data were gathered.

Results: Sixteen patients with CNS metastasis were identified. The median age was 58 years. The majority of CNS metastases were located in the frontal and parietal lobes. Eleven patients had widespread metastases. Five patients had exclusively metastasis to the CNS. The average time from diagnosis of primary tumour to symptoms of CNS metastasis was 91 months. The average time from the initial CNS symptoms to death was 20 months. All tumours were composed of either mixed or spindle cells. The average largest basal diameter of the primary tumours was 12 mm. One tumour was a ring melanoma. The majority of tumours had a ruptured Bruch membrane. Retinal invasion was observed in 36% of tumours. No specimen had optic nerve invasion. Scleral invasion was pronounced in 36% of cases, and extrascleral extension was observed in two cases (14%). The amount of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes was pronounced in three cases (23%).

Conclusion: The proportion of uveal melanoma patients having CNS metastasis was 0.7%. Eleven patients had multiple organ metastases, and the average time from the initial CNS symptoms to death was 8 months. Five patients had metastasis to the CNS solely, and the average time from the initial CNS symptoms to death was 57 months.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Funding: We thank The Danish Cancer Society for financial support of this study.

  • Ethics approval: Ethics approval was provided by The Danish National Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics.

  • Patient consent: Obtained.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF
  4. All Versions of this Article:
    1. bjo.2008.145664v1
    2. 93/5/641 most recent

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Social bookmarking

Register for free content


Free sample
 This recent issue is free to all users to allow everyone the opportunity to see the full scope and typical content of BJO.
View free sample issue >>

Free archive
The full back archive is now available for BJO. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006, back to volume 1 issue 1.
Register to access the free archive >>

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.