CYTOGENETICAL OBSERVATIONS IN 9 OCULAR MALIGNANT MELANOMAS

The cytogenetical findings in one conjunctival and eight uveal melanom as are reported. Six of the intraocular tumors displayed clonal abnorm alities. In two of these cases there were both extensive numerical and structural aberrations. Only the single ciliary body melanoma showed the deviations monosomy 3 and gain of 8q considered typical of uveal m elanomas. No preferential pattern could be discerned for the clonal ab normalities in the other uveal melanomas. The one conjunctival tumor, arising in an area of precancerous melanosis, showed only a small clon e with a 4q+marker. The clonal abnormalities in the nine cases showed no similarities to those on record for cutaneous melanomas.