Incidence of ocular pigment changes in patients with cutaneous melanoma

: Between October 1990 und April 1992, 116 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma and 6 with primary ocular malignant melanoma underwent both dermatological and ophthalmological examination, standardized personal and clinical criteria being applied. In addition to the record of the DDG melanoma file, the skin type, eye and skin colour, number of naevi, occurrence of any other cutaneous alterations, and the family history with respect to additional malignant neoplasms were documented. It was found that 18/116 patients with cutaneous melanoma also had naevi of the iris, but none had concomitant ocular melanoma. Notably, 32% of first degree relatives (n = 37) had a malignant neoplasm, as against 12% of the dermatological patients with no oncological conditions who acted as controls. Although the occurrence of additional changes in ocular pigmentation alterations in patients with malignant cutaneous melanoma cannot be regarded as significant on the basis of our prospective study, the eye, as a potential location of metastases or the original site in primary malignant melanoma, should be examined during staging and follow-up examinations, especially as isolated cases of oculo-cutaneous correlation have already been reported.