Metastatic tumors to the uvea

Lung squamous cell carcinoma with solitary ocular metastasis and its successful treatment with thoracic surgery and chemotherapy: an interesting and rare case report

Background

The incidence of ocular metastasis from lung cancer is reported to be 0.1–7%, with adenocarcinoma and small cell lung cancer accounting for the highest proportions of these cases. The majority of cases involves metastasis to more than one other distal organ in addition to the eye. Here, we report for the first time, a case of lung squamous cell carcinoma with solitary symptomatic ocular metastasis as the initial manifestation that was managed by a multidisciplinary treatment (MDT).

Case presentation

A woman presented at the ophthalmology department of hospital with a 1-week history of left eye pain and blurred vision. Systemic examination led to the diagnosis of central lung cancer in the right lower lobe with ocular metastasis. After consultations with an MDT, including specialists from the surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, radiotherapy and imaging departments, the patient underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Her eye symptoms disappeared, and the ocular lesion was well controlled without any specific ocular treatment. The patient demonstrated a prolonged progression-free survival.

Conclusion

This is the first report of a rare case with solitary ocular metastasis as the initial manifestation of lung squamous cell carcinoma. This rare patient was treated based on evidence-based medicine, indicating the importance of cooperation within an MDT. The successful treatment of this case was reported as a new therapeutic reference for clinicians who encounter similar cases in the future.

Ciliary body tumour as the presenting manifestation of metastatic non-small cell adenocarcinoma of lung

We report a rare case of ciliary body metastasis from adenocarcinoma of the lung. Although the metastatic nodule was seen over the surface of the iris near the angle of anterior chamber, ultrasonography confirmed its origin from the ciliary body. Uveal metastasis may be the first sign of lung cancer.

[Ocular metastasis heralding gastric adenocarcinoma]

Ocular metastasis is a rare presenting feature of gastric adenocarcinoma. We report a 48-year-old woman who presented with a decrease in visual acuity of the right eye leading to the discovery of an ocular metastasis. Diagnostic work-up identified a gastric adenocarcinoma with pulmonary metastases. She received four cycles of chemotherapy combining epirubicin, cisplatin and fluorouracil. The patient died 6 months after the diagnosis of respiratory failure.

Radiotherapy of choroidal metastases

PURPOSE

This retrospective study was undertaken to clarify the role of high energy external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and to determine its safety and efficacy on local control and visual acuity in patients suffering from choroidal metastases (CM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of 58 consecutive patients treated with EBRT between 1970 and 1993 were analyzed. The female to male ratio was 2.9 and the median age was 59 years (range 40-81 years). Thirty-six patients (62%) had unilateral CM and 22 patients had bilateral CM. The mean number of lesions per eye was two. Retinal detachment was present in 65% of cases. The primary tumour (PT) was breast carcinoma for 38 patients (75%), lung carcinoma for 10 patients (17%) and gastrointestinal, genitourinary or unknown PT for the remaining 10 patients. The median interval of time between the PT and the CM was 55 months (range 0-228 months). All patients were treated with megavoltage irradiation. The median prescribed dose was 35.5 Gy (range 20-53 Gy) normalized at a 2 Gy per fraction schedule with an alpha/beta value of 10 Gy. Various techniques were used and whenever possible the lens was spared. Ten patients with unilateral disease were treated in both eyes.

RESULTS

The tumour response was slow. When assessed after 3 months or more, the complete response rate was 53% with significantly better results for doses higher than 35.5 Gy (72 versus 33%; P = 0.009). Visual acuity was improved or stabilized in 62% of patients, with also significantly better results when doses higher than 35.5 Gy (P = 0.014) were administered. Amongst 26 patients with unilateral CM who had no elective contralateral irradiation, three developed metastasis in the opposite eye versus none of the 10 patients who had bilateral irradiation. Five complications occurred (three cataracts, one retinopathy and one glaucoma).

CONCLUSION

Radiation therapy is an efficient and safe palliative treatment for choroidal metastases and it helps the preservation of vision. Thus, there is a major impact on the quality of life in a group of patients with an almost uniformly fatal prognosis. Both tumour response and visual acuity are significantly improved if doses higher than 35.5 Gy are administered. Whenever possible, a lens sparing technique should be used.