Choroidal melanoma masquerading as orbital cellulitis

Abstract

Orbital cellulitis is the most common subset of orbital inflammatory disease. We describe a patient with necrotic choroidal melanoma who presented with orbital cellulitis. MRI revealed a mass lesion suggesting intraocular melanoma with no extrascleral extension. There was no metastasis on positron emission tomography-CT scan. Enucleation with orbital implant was performed. Histopathological analysis of the specimen revealed intraocular necrotic melanoma with very few recognisable melanoma cells. The necrotic subtype is more commonly associated with extrascleral extension, distant metastasis and poorer prognosis than other melanoma types. Sterile orbital cellulitis may rarely be a manifestation of ocular tumours in adults, and a high index of suspicion should be maintained to rule out the same.