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We present the ultrasound and optic coherence tomography follow-up of a presumed choroidal metastasis from a contralateral melanoma. A 53-year-old male was diagnosed with uveal melanoma with extraescleral extension in his left eye. A year later, the fundus examination revealed a flat, gray-green, pigmented choroidal lesion in the right eye. The ultrasonography showed a mass, almost flat, and all these findings were compatible with a choroidal melanocytic lesion with risk factors for growth. One month later, melanocytic skin lesions appeared on the scalp, as well as small tumors. Three months later, an ultrasonography on B scan showed a growth of the tumor size. The patient developed a progressive deterioration and died. Three possibilities can explain the occurrence of a choroidal pigmented tumor in the contralateral eye: first, bilateral primary choroidal melanomas; second, both choroidal tumors are metastatic in origin from an unknown primary melanoma; and third, the contralateral tumor is a metastatic tumor from the primary choroidal melanoma.

Propósito: Estudiar la distribución por edades del melanoma de úvea y relacionarlo con la supervivencia. Método: Se ha realizado un estudio retrospectivo en pacientes diagnosticados de melanoma de úvea. Se han analizado entre otras las variables clínicas: edad, sexo, origen y tamaño tumoral, tiempo de seguimiento, estado sistémico actual, fecha y causa de muerte. Resultados: Se han estudiado 303 pacientes afectos de melanoma de úvea. La edad media de los pacientes fue de 60,09 años. La supervivencia en los pacientes < 50 años a los 2, 5 y 10 años de seguimiento es del 91,41%, 81,83% y 61,45% respectivamente. La supervivencia en los pacientes ≥ 50 años a los 2, 5 y 10 años es del 90,86%, 73,18% y 58,28% respectivamente, diferencia no estadísticamente significativa entre estos dos grupos de edad. Cuando consideramos el factor sexo en los pacientes ≥ 50 años encontramos una mayor supervivencia entre los hombres respecto a las mujeres (log-rank; p=0,038). Conclusiones: El melanoma de úvea en nuestro medio sigue un patrón de distribución por edades muy similar al descrito en otras series de otros países, no siendo infrecuente el diagnóstico en pacientes jóvenes < 40 años. Las tasas de supervivencia también son similares a otras series. No se han encontrado diferencias significativas entre la edad de los pacientes y el pronóstico vital, aunque analizando subgrupos vemos que los hombres ≥ 50 años presentan una mejor supervivencia que las mujeres ≥ 50 años. Purpose: To study the age distribution and survival in patients with uveal melanoma. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 303 patients diagnosed with uveal melanoma. We analysed the clinical characteristics: age, gender, tumor size and origin, follow-up time, systemic state, survival time and cause of death. Results: The median age of the patients was 60.09 years. The 2-, 5-, and 10-year survival of patients less than 50 years of age at diagnosis was 91.41%, 81.83% and 61.45% respectively. The 2-, 5- and 10-year survival of patients equal to or older than 50 years was 90.86%, 73.18% and 58.28% respectively. No significant difference was found between these two age groups. When we considered a possible relationship between the sex factor and survival, in patients equal to or older than 50 years of age, we found a higher survival in men than in women (log-rank test; p=0.038). Conclusions: Uveal melanoma in Spain has a similar age distribution to that of other countries, and it is not an infrequent diagnosis in patients under 40 years of age. Survival rates are also similar to that of other series. We have not found any significant difference between the age of our patients and the survival, although if we analysed the subgroups, we found that the men equal to or over 50 years of age had a better survival than the women of the same age.