Melanoma-associated retinopathy and recurrent exudative retinal detachments in a patient with choroidal melanoma

PURPOSE: To report a patient who presented with photopsias, night blindness , exudative retinal detachments, and melanoma-associated retinopathy in her right eye 23 years after the left eye was enucleated for a choroidal melan oma. METHODS: Assessment of fundus findings, fluorescein angiograms, and electro retinograms. RESULTS: The patient had recurrent exudative detachments of the macula in h er right eye and electroretinogram responses consistent with the diagnosis of melanoma-associated retinopathy. The abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan was negative, but 13 months later, CT scanning revealed many masses in her liver. Fine-needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic melano ma. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of melanoma-associat ed retinopathy in a patient with a previous choroidal melanoma. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.