What is eye melanoma? What is the definition of eye melanoma? How is an eye melanoma usually diagnosed? What is the pathophysiology of eye melanoma? Why it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose an eye melanoma?
Definition, Diagnosis, and Pathophysiology of Eye Melanoma
New York (USA), May 03, 2018
What is eye melanoma?
Eye melanoma is a type of cancer that develops in the melanocytes cells that produce melanin pigment. Melanin pigment is the substance that gives color to our eyes, hair and skin.
The melanin pigment is produced in a specialized group of cells, which is known as melanocytes.
More often than not, melanoma develops in the skin. However, as there are melanocytes in different parts of our body, it can start in other areas, such as the eye.
Just as one can develop melanoma on his or her skin, one can also develop it inside one’s eye or on one’s conjunctiva.
Although eye melanoma is the most common eye cancer in adults, eye melanoma is very rare.
What is the definition of eye melanoma?
Melanoma is a type of cancer that develops in the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives our skin its color.
Our eyes also have melanin-producing cells called melanocytes, which can develop melanoma.
Eye melanoma is also known as ocular melanoma.
How is an eye melanoma usually diagnosed?
Many people do not know that they have eye melanoma until they are diagnosed.
Diagnosing eye melanoma starts with a dilated eye exam by an ophthalmologist. As eye melanoma may not cause any symptoms at first, melanoma of the eye disease is often detected during a routine eye examination.
Certain signs and symptoms might entail that a person could have an eye melanoma, but specific screening tests are required to confirm the diagnosis for melanoma of the eye.
How is an eye melanoma diagnosed clinically?
If your ophthalmologist infers that you have eye melanoma, he or she may recommend more laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures.
To diagnose eye melanoma, your doctor may recommend:
– Eye Examination
– Ophthalmoscopy
– Slit-Lamp Biomicroscopy
– Ultrasound Examination of the Eye
– Fluorescein Angiography
– Fundus Autofluorescence
– Optical Coherence Tomography
– Biopsy of the Eye
The doctor may also recommend some additional screening laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures to determine whether the melanoma has spread (metastasized) to other parts of your body. These tests and procedures may include:
– Abdominal Ultrasound
– Blood Tests to Measure Liver Function
– Chest X-Ray
– Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
– Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Why it can sometimes be difficult to diagnose an eye melanoma?
Normally, a melanoma differs from a nevus, or mole, in or on the eye. Melanomas inside the eyes are usually orange, leaks fluid, and are thicker than usual.
Mostly, eye melanomas form in the part of the eye one cannot see when one is looking in a mirror. Therefore, it makes eye melanoma difficult to detect. Moreover, eye melanoma typically does not cause or exhibit early signs or symptoms.
How to establish the correct diagnosis of eye melanoma in its initial stage?
An optometrist or an ophthalmologist usually diagnoses eye melanoma during a routine eye exam, when he or she looks inside the eye with special lights and instruments.
Generally, eye melanoma develops in the cells of the uvea, the vascular layer of your eye sandwiched between the retina, the thin layer of tissue that lines the back inner wall of your eyeball, and the white of your eye (sclera).
Eye melanoma can occur in the iris, the ciliary body or the choroid.
Eye melanoma can take place in the front part of the uvea (iris and ciliary body) or in the back part of the uvea (choroid layer).
Eye melanoma can also happen on the outermost layer on the front of the eye (conjunctiva), in the socket that surrounds the eyeball and on the eyelid. However, these types of eye melanoma are very rare.
What is the pathophysiology of eye melanoma?
Melanoma is a cancer that develops from cells called melanocytes.
Eye melanoma can be caused by a genetic error in cells that causes them to mutate.
Eye melanoma takes place when errors develop in the DNA of healthy eye cells.
The DNA errors notify the cells to grow and multiply out of control, so the mutated cells remain alive when they would normally die. These mutated cells accumulate in the eye and form an eye melanoma.
Therefore, a careful examination by an experienced clinician remains the most important test to establish the occurrence of eye melanoma.
Learn more about the definition, clinical features, diagnosis, and pathophysiology of eye melanoma.
Eye Melanoma – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
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