Eye Care in the Community – Part 12

Choroidal melanomas are a rare occurrence in general practice. Choroidal naevi, on the other hand, are common observations and it is important that we keep a very close watch on these to ensure that they do not develop into choroidal melanomas. In this article, I will run through the various aids that we utilise in our practice to gain insight into the development of choroidal melanomas. I will also show that melanomas can suddenly appear.

Case

54-year-old female, JN, was seen by my colleague for a routine eye examination. Her last eye examination had been some 5 years earlier (elsewhere) and she was managing with off-the-shelf +1.00 ready readers. She had an amblyopic left eye but no other history of note.