Fewer than 1% of uveal melanomas (UMs) occur in patients younger than 20 years.1 We report a histologically unusual UM in a child that was confirmed by the presence of a GNAQ somatic mutation.
An 18-month-old girl was referred to an ophthalmic oncologist after being diagnosed as having leukokoria of the right eye. Her mother felt that the eye was “lazy” from birth. At 6 months, a nurse noticed an abnormal red reflex. The child was first seen by an ophthalmologist 12 months later when it was noticed that the affected pupil was dilated. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a uniformly enhancing right intraocular mass (Figure 1A-C). Examination under anesthesia revealed a total retinal detachment with a yellow subretinal mass. A preliminary diagnosis of retinoblastoma was made and enucleation was performed. The left eye was normal.