Glaucoma as the presenting sign of intraocular tumors: beware of the masquerading sign

To discuss the clinical presentation and management of intraocular tumors masquerading as primary glaucoma or non-tumor-related secondary glaucoma.

Retrospective chart review.

Ten patients with unsuspected intraocular tumor were referred to glaucoma clinic with a diagnosis of primary glaucoma or non-tumor-related secondary glaucoma. The mean age at referral was 25 years (median, 22 years; range, 1 day to 58 years). Referral diagnosis included neovascular glaucoma (n = 6), congenital glaucoma (n = 3), and angle-closure glaucoma (n = 1). The significant clinical signs included corneal edema (n = 3), megalocornea (n = 3), iris neovascularization (n = 4), hyphema (n = 2), and pseudohypopyon (n = 2). The mean interval between the onset of symptoms and the establishment of accurate diagnosis was 4 months (median, 3 months; range, 0.5–13 months). Two patients underwent inadvertent trabeculectomy, and one patient underwent evisceration prior to definitive diagnosis. The final diagnosis included uveal melanocytoma (n = 2), ciliary body medulloepithelioma (n = 2), choroidal melanoma (n = 2), retinoblastoma (n = 1), retinal capillary hemangioblastoma (n = 1), choroidal schwannoma (n = 1), and uveal metastasis (n = 1). The treatment modalities included plaque radiotherapy (n = 1), enucleation (n = 6), palliative systemic chemotherapy (n = 1), a combination of enucleation, systemic chemotherapy, and external beam radiotherapy (n = 1), and one patient was lost to follow-up. There was no evidence of death over a mean follow-up period of 13 months (median, 5 months; range, 2 weeks to 7 years).

Unilateral raised intraocular pressure, iris neovascularization, or both may be the presenting features of intraocular tumors. High degree of suspicion and a thorough examination reveals the definitive diagnosis.