Intractable glaucoma characteristically occurs due which one of the following?
Diffuse iris melanoma
Anterior iris melanocyte proliferation
Posterior uveal melanoeyte proliferation
Lens enlargement
Iris melanoma usually grows very slowly along the iris surface and may invade the angle and anterior ciliary body -- intractable glaucoma. Iris melanoma makes up about 5% of uveal melanomas. In general, uveal melanomas are three times commoner in patients with blue/grey than brown irides. They are extremely rare in black people and there is no sexual predilection. Conditions associated with or predispose to early onset uveal melanomas are: a. Ocular melanocytosis b. Nevus of Ota c. Dysplastic cutaneous nevi d. Familial melanoma e. Neurofibromatosis--1 Presentation of iris melanoma is in the fifth to sixth decade, a decade earlier than ciliary body and choroidal melanoma, with enlargement of a pre-existing iris lesion. Treatment: 1. Iridectomy for small tumors 2. Iridocyclectomy for tumors invading the angle 3. Radiotherapy for non-resectable tumors 4. Enucleation for diffusely growing tumors
Glaucoma