Clinical presentation and management of uveal melanoma

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. The majority of the patients are Caucasian (97.8%) and aged 50-80 years. Choroidal melanoma is the predominant type (86.3%). The clinical presentation may range from no symptoms over various types of visual disturbances to visual loss. Examination includes slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy and diagnostic testing, such as B-scan ultrasonography. A number of patients with posterior UM are treated with plaque radiation therapy or enucleation. At present, targeted therapy includes inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase signaling pathway. UM disseminates hematogenously, with a high propensity for metastasis to the liver, which the most common site (93% of the cases). While UM is uncommon, a significant proportion of affected patients succumb to this disease and new treatment options to improve patient survival are required.