Unilateral iris melanoma in a cat

Abstract

A tumor known as feline iris melanoma has a high chance of metastasizing and is characterized by multifocal, golden yellow to brown pigmented patches in the iris. Despite the fact that cats of any age can develop this tumor, there is no breed or sex-specific susceptibility. Clinical examination, fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and histopathologic investigations are used to confirm the diagnosis of the illness. Early disease detection and surgical treatment are crucial for disease management. The patient's age, general health, and metastatic melanoma are taken into consideration while deciding whether to enucleate the eye. The case material was a female Russian blue cat that was neutered at the age of 5, weighed 4.5 kg, and was taken to the surgical clinic of the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Siirt. According to the patient's medical history, a brown spot-like pigmented region had developed on the right eye's iris two months prior, and up until the cat was brought to the clinic, the pigmented patches in the iris grew in number and size. The diagnosis of iris melanoma was made after a routine clinical examination, tonometry, hematologic, and biochemical tests showed that the melanoma foci had solely damaged the iris surface and had not spread to other eye tissues or organs. It was decided not to undertake surgery because the disease was still in its early stages and the patient's general health was good based on clinical examinations. The owner of the patient was instructed that during the follow-up phase, the foci should be checked and the patient should continue to be under supervision. When the patient was summoned back for a follow-up examination three months later, it was decided to undertake enucleation in case any potential melanoma foci or metastases had grown in other eye tissues or organs.