Uveal Melanoma Cell Seeding after Transretinal Tumor Biopsy?

Background/Aims: To report a case and the histopathology of uveal melanoma cell seeding following transretinal tumor biopsy for a suspected uveal lesion. Methods: Interventional case report. Results: A 66-year-old male presented with a pigmented perilimbal episcleral lesion overlying an intraocular mass at the pars plana, 3.5 years after transretinal biopsy and ruthenium plaque brachytherapy for a choroidal melanoma at the posterior pole. The patient underwent enucleation of the eye. Histopathology confirmed a recurrence of uveal melanoma with intra-and extrascleral tumor portions. Serial sections revealed the posterior border of this newfound pars plana melanoma separated from the radiation scar by a viable and tumor-free choroidal area, thus failing to establish a continuity between secondary and primary tumor. Conclusion: Transretinal tumor biopsy is of high diagnostic and prognostic value in the management of uveal lesions, but also bears the potential risk for tumor cell seeding. (C) 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel