Malignant melanoma of the choroid and ciliary body in black patients.

In a retrospective study of choroidal and ciliary body malignant melanomas in black patients, we found that the death rates due to metastatic melanoma after enucleation were equivalent for 39 blacks and 3,339 whites. When compared with a control group of whites, it was found that blacks were more likely to have secondary glaucoma and inflammation prior to enucleation. Of the histopathologic features analyzed, the presence of necrosis or mixed or epithelioid type cells within the tumor was associated with increased mortality in blacks. The histopathologic features of malignant melanomas in blacks and whites were similar, except that tumor necrosis and heavy pigmentation were found more frequently in tumors of blacks.