Extensive malignant melanoma of the uvea in childhood: resection and immediate reconstruction with microsurgical and craniofacial techniques.

Abstract

Malignant melanoma is a rare tumor in the pediatric age group. Those that have been reported generally describe cutaneous lesions. In children, malignant melanoma arising in the eye is exceedingly rare. The child we report was born with a uveal tract malignant melanoma with extensive extraocular invasion that was successfully managed with combined craniofacial and microsurgical techniques. This patient demonstrates the difficulty of making the correct diagnosis, the initial reluctance about surgical intervention in a newborn's condition, and the subsequent success possible with standard microsurgical and craniofacial techniques.