Extrascleral malignant melanoma.

We present two cases of anterior extrascleral extension of malignant melanoma in eyes previously blind from other causes. In both cases, the tumor was not detected by the physician but rather by the patient himself (case 1) or his wife (case 2). In one case, the tumor became manifest more than 60 years after the eye became blind from trauma. Although blind eyes may harbor lethal tumors and, therefore, need regular examinations, this simple part of the physical examination frequently remains neglected by ophthalmologists as well as by primary care physicians. We wish to emphasize the potential life-saving importance of regular examinations of blind eyes.