Melanotic tumors of the orbit as a rule are secondary, arising chiefly from the uveal tract and less often from the conjunctiva, the piaarachnoid of the brain or a more distant focus.
Carefully studied and described cases of primary orbital melanoma, with which this paper is chiefly concerned, are numerically few.
A tedious search of the world literature back to 1838, when Raimbert published his case, disclosed that most reports are brief and pathologic studies either absent or incomplete. In the accompanying table the collected reports are tabulated and brief notes of criticism given. Eleven cases from the literature are summarized in the following section.
REPORT OF CASES FROM THE LITERATURE
Laurence's Case 1.
—A woman aged 62 had increasing proptosis until, after nine months, the eye was outside the orbit. The eye together with an intimately adherent encapsulated melanotic tumor was removed. The growth promptly recurred, filling the orbit. In