Cancer-associated nummular loss of the pigment epithelium.

PURPOSE

To report a case of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP) that had areas of retinal pigment epithelial loss.

DESIGN

Observational case report.

METHODS

A 67-year-old woman with a history of uterine cancer presented with 4 months of bilateral visual loss.

RESULTS

Although B-scan ultrasonography revealed both small shallow serous retinal and choroidal detachments in the periphery, the choroid was normal in thickness. Fluorescein angiography revealed numerous nummular-shaped areas of transmission defects suggesting retinal pigment epithelium loss. Autofluorescence photography showed complete absence of autofluorescence in these nummular areas, and optical coherence tomography showed segmental areas with lack of any signal from affected areas of the retinal pigment epithelium, suggesting complete loss of retinal pigment epithelium cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the fundus findings in BDUMP have been attributed to the proliferation of uveal melanocytic cells in the outer choroid in previous papers, our patient had nummular areas of loss of the retinal pigment epithelium as the apparent reason for visual decline.