Iris melanomas usually grow slowly and do not usually spread to other parts of the body. They are grouped by the size of the tumor. Small size ciliary body or choroid melanoma is 2 to 3 millimeters or less thick. They are grouped by the size of the tumor. The melanoma has spread outside the eye by extending through the wall of the eye, the sclera.
Metastatic melanoma means that the tumor has spread far from the eye, usually to the liver.
Symptoms Most melanomas of the iris, ciliary or choroid are initially completely asymptomatic. Most melanomas are detected by routine ophthalmic examination which should include dilation of the pupil and detailed examination of the posterior aspect of the eye to detect choroidal melanomas. Like most early cancers, an early melanoma is usually a silent cancer. Determining that the Lesion is a Malignant Melanoma One of the difficulties in diagnosing small melanomas is that it can be very difficult to differentiate a small malignant melanoma from a benign pigmented tumor, an iris or choroidal nevus. At present there is no definitive test that clearly differentiates a nevus from a small malignant melanoma.