Primitive Bilateral Ocular Melanoma in a Black Patient

Abstract

Introduction: Ocular melanoma develops at the expense of eyes’ melanocytes which give to the eyes their color. It is the first primitive intraocular tumor in the White race. It is rare, as that of the skin in black people. The bilateral cases are exceptional even in the white race, estimated at 0.2%. We present the case of bilateral ocular melanoma with bad prognosis in a black patient. Patient and observation: A 56-year-old black male patient, who had benefited 4 years earlier from an enucleation of the right eye for ocular melanoma, and admitted for bilateral exophthalmos which evolved for three months in a context of bilateral blindness. The cerebral Scanning had allowed to objectify a bilateral lateral-conical mass which evoked an inflammatory pseudo tumor. The failure of the medical treatment led to the exeresis of a conical, juxta-orbital and mid-muscular blackish mass, to the later apex respecting the surrounding structures. The histological examination ends again in a melanoma. No additional therapy was undertaken. The evolution 2 years later was marked by a local recurrence, multiple hepatic metastases and patient death. Conclusion: Bilateral ocular melanoma is exceptional in Black people. The etiologic factors as well as bilateralism mechanisms are still hypothetic. Its most effective treatment is local and the prognosis, bad in case of metastases due to the absence of an effective chemotherapy.