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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffIt's not clear what causes eye melanoma, also called ocular melanoma. Doctors know that eye melanoma occurs when errors develop in the DNA of healthy eye cells. The DNA errors tell the cells to grow and multiply out of control, so the mutated cells go on living when they would normally die. The mutated cells accumulate in the eye and form an eye melanoma.
Where eye melanoma occurs
Eye melanoma most commonly develops in the cells of the uvea, the vascular layer of your eye sandwiched between the retina, the thin layer of tissue that lines the back inner wall of your eyeball, and the white of your eye (sclera). Eye melanoma can occur in the front part of the uvea (iris and ciliary body) or in the back part of the uvea (choroid layer).
Eye melanoma can also occur on the most outer layer on the front of the eye (conjunctiva), in the socket that surrounds the eyeball and on the eyelid, though these types of eye melanoma are very rare.
- Augsburger JJ, et al. Uveal melanoma. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/199400089-5/0/1869/0.html. Accessed May 4, 2010.
- Intraocular (eye) melanoma treatment. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/intraocularmelanoma/patient/allpages. Accessed May 4, 2010.
- Simar K. The fundamentals of uveal melanoma. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2009;13:483.
- Shields CL, et al. Ocular melanoma: Relatively rare but requiring respect. Clinics in Dermatology. 2009;27:122.
- Gragoudas ES, et al. Ocular melanoma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Surgical procedures. American Society of Ocularists. http://www.ocularist.org/resources_surgical_procedures.asp. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Ihrig C, et al. Acquired monocular vision rehabilitation program. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development. 2007;44:593.
- Occupational therapy services for individuals with visual impairment. American Occupational Therapy Association. http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/PracticeAreas/Rehab/Tools/38508.aspx. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Shopping guide for sunglasses. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/documents/SunglassShoppingGuide0810.pdf. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Roberston DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 22, 2010.
- How is eye cancer diagnosed? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_3x_how_is_eye_cancer_diagnosed_74.asp. Accessed May 24, 2010.
- Surgery. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Surgery_74.asp?rnav=cri. Accessed May 24, 2010.
- Damato B, et al. Surgical resection of uveal melanoma. In: Albert DM, et al. Albert & Jakobiec's Principles and Practice of Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier;2008:4913.
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