MELANOMA-ASSOCIATED RETINOPATHY - CASE-RE PORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

We describe here a case of melanoma-associated retinopathy. In 1993, a 60 year-old man had a cutaneous malignant melanoma surgically removed from the third right toe (thickness 3.15 mm; level IV). One year late r he complained suddenly of photopsias, shimmering lights and night bl indness of the left eye. Visual acuity and fundus examination were nor mal. The left visual field showed a tubular aspect. The photopic elect roretinogram (ERG) was negative, and the scotopic one was flat. Six we eks later the same symptoms occured in the right eye. One month later, inguinal lymph nodes were invaded with cancer cells. The association of metastatic melanoma, ocular functional signs and ERG's abnormalitie s suggested the diagnosis of melanoma-associated retinopathy. This par aneoplastic syndrome is very rare: only seven cases have been describe d. Antibodies against retinal bipolar cells have shown up in three cas es. Treatment is yet to be discovered.