Primary Retrobulbar and Intraocular Malignant Melanoma in a Cat

Abstract

Retrobulbar and intraocular melanoma in cats is infrequently described. The objective of this re- port is to describe the macroscopic, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of intraocular and retrobulbar malignant melanoma in a cat. A 10-year-old, spayed female, domestic short hair cat presented a rapidly growing intraocular and retrobulbar mass affecting the right eye. The presence of this mass resulted in exopthalmos, blindness and multifocal hemorrhage. The cat died 4 weeks later and a complete necropsy was performed. The final diagnosis for this case was primary retrobulbar malignant melanoma with intraorbital involvement. Most of the feline intraocular tumors contained a tumor that are predisposed to trauma due to inflammation. Early enucleation is the treatment of choice for malignant melanocytic tumors and for blind or painful eyes.