title: Metastatic choroidal melanoma.
abstract: We studied the metastatic pattern of 41 patients initially referred with a primary choroidal melanoma who later developed widespread disease. In the order of frequency, the most common sites of metastatic involvement were the liver (56%), subcutaneous tissue (36.5%), and bone (7%). Whereas the median interval between enucleation and the onset of metastatic disease was approximately four years, in rare cases, metastases were diagnosed concurrently with a primary choroidal melanoma. Since patients with choroidal melanomas usually survive less than one year after the development of widespread disease, a metastatic examination should be done in all patients with pigmented choroidal tumors both before and after ocular therapy. From the data obtained in this and other studies on metastatic melanoma, a reasonable basic metastatic examination for choroidal melanoma patients should include a serum lactic dehydrogenase, a serum alkaline phosphatase, a routine chest X-ray, and a general physical examination.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis