Tapioca melanomas of the iris

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tapioca melanomas of the iris

T2 - immunohistology and report on two cases

AU - Hassenstein, A

AU - Bialasiewicz, A A

AU - von Domarus, D

AU - Schäfer, H

AU - Richard, G

PY - 1999/5/1

Y1 - 1999/5/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Tapioca-like tumors are rare, and their benign or malignant nature is obscure without histological work-up. We report on the clinical and histological features of different types of tumors in two patients.CASE REPORT: Two patients aged 17 and 45 years presented with brownish iris masses increasing in size. Full-thickness en bloc excision of melanocytic tumors (5.5 mm and 7.0 mm in diameter) was carried out. Histological work-up revealed a nevus cell nevus in the young patient and an epithelioid malignant melanoma in the middle-aged patient evolving from the ciliary body. Staining for HMB-45 was marked in both tumors, for S-100 low in the nevus and marked in the melanoma, and for p53 negative in the nevus and positive in the melanoma. Ki67 stains were negative.CONCLUSION: We propose that excision of anteriorly located pigmented tumors that increase in size is indicated in order to determine whether they are benign or malignant. In these case reports, tapioca-like tumors include a benign and a malignant entity. To our knowledge, a nevus cell nevus presenting as a tapioca-like tumor has not previously been described. Curative surgery and histological and immunohistological evaluation are required to characterize the malignant potential of these tumors and the prognosis.

AB - BACKGROUND: Tapioca-like tumors are rare, and their benign or malignant nature is obscure without histological work-up. We report on the clinical and histological features of different types of tumors in two patients.CASE REPORT: Two patients aged 17 and 45 years presented with brownish iris masses increasing in size. Full-thickness en bloc excision of melanocytic tumors (5.5 mm and 7.0 mm in diameter) was carried out. Histological work-up revealed a nevus cell nevus in the young patient and an epithelioid malignant melanoma in the middle-aged patient evolving from the ciliary body. Staining for HMB-45 was marked in both tumors, for S-100 low in the nevus and marked in the melanoma, and for p53 negative in the nevus and positive in the melanoma. Ki67 stains were negative.CONCLUSION: We propose that excision of anteriorly located pigmented tumors that increase in size is indicated in order to determine whether they are benign or malignant. In these case reports, tapioca-like tumors include a benign and a malignant entity. To our knowledge, a nevus cell nevus presenting as a tapioca-like tumor has not previously been described. Curative surgery and histological and immunohistological evaluation are required to characterize the malignant potential of these tumors and the prognosis.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Antigens, Neoplasm

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Immunoenzyme Techniques

KW - Iris Neoplasms

KW - Ki-67 Antigen

KW - Melanoma

KW - Melanoma-Specific Antigens

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Neoplasm Proteins

KW - S100 Proteins

KW - Tumor Markers, Biological

KW - Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 10333110

VL - 237

SP - 424

EP - 428

JO - GRAEF ARCH CLIN EXP

JF - GRAEF ARCH CLIN EXP

SN - 0721-832X

IS - 5

ER -