Experimental ocular malignant melanoma in Sinclair swine.

An animal model of malignant melanoma of the eye was established by transplanting a cell suspension from cutaneous melanomas into the anterior chamber of the eye in Sinclair Farm miniature swine. The frequency of tumor takes in the eye was increased from 8.9% to 22% by treating the animals simultaneously with subconjunctival triamcinolone acetonide. As an animal model for hematoporphyrin derivative--photoradiation treatment of human malignant melanoma of the eye, this does not appear to be a good research tool because of the sporadic incidence of tumor takes, the rapid growth of tumor within the eye causing glaucoma, and the dark iris pigmentation of successful tumor takes, which hides extensive underlying ciliary body tumor.