Melanome-echo

Uveal melanoma: what are the symptoms?

04/02/2017
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The tumor often develops for some time before the first symptoms appear. Knowing these symptoms can help identify them more quickly and thus lead to faster consultation.

Uveal melanoma develops inside the eyeball and therefore cannot be seen from the outside. However, there are warning signs, generally caused by the partial detachment of the retina.

  • A benign pigment lesion, known as a nevus, which could become malignant. Patients with a large choroidal nevus usually undergo regular monitoring of the optical fundus.
  • Decreased visual acuity
  • A spot in the visual field (scotoma)
  • Flashes or phosphenes, which always appear in the same place on the same eye. However, uveal melanoma is often detected during a routine ophthalmological exam. The diagnosis is confirmed by ultrasound.

 

Treatment is then decided upon, following consultation among all specialists involved, according to the following:

  • Age of the patient
  • Diameter of the tumor
  • Its location in the eye
  • Its possible extension beyond the sclera (the white of the eye)
  • Histological analysis