feline diffuse iris melanoma

stephshowers

stephshowers

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Originally Posted by stephshowers  



Thank you so much for posting these pictures! Our Abyssinian is 2 1/2 years old and started getting these "eye freckles" in one of his eyes. He was recently at the vets due to a cold and she dismissed it as anything to be concerned about. We have noticed the freckles have increased and are now going to take him back or look for an eye specialist. I would rather have his eye removed than lose our beloved pet!

*********I am also glad you found this old thread and were able to see the pictures.  I hope your little guy does NOT have eye cancer, but it he does, fingers crossed that this has helped you catch it early enough.

Why don't you open up a new thread just for your guy so we can follow his progress? ***********

Hopefully it is not iris melanoma but if it is we are praying that we catch it early enough to save his eye or at least his life. We have an appointment at a vet eye specialist next week. I will keep everyone posted as to Spider's progress. I know I was meant to see this post, everything happens for a reason, right?  :)  
 
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rad65

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There is another possibility. It could be melanosis, which is the benign form and what one of my cats has. Melanomas tend to have a bump over them in the eye, while melanoses are just black spots.
 
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stephshowers

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I hope so, we will find out more when we see the specialist. This is exactly what his eye looks like.
 
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mrblanche

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It's good that your are observant enough to have noticed this early.  I know nothing about the problem, and it sure looks scary to me, so I hope your specialist visit goes well.  Please keep us posted, whatever you discover.
 
 
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stephshowers

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I want to thank you all for your concern for my Abby! We saw the eye specialist veterinarian last week and he examined Spider's eye. At this point he said the freckles are benign but now we have a base point to go off of so we can evaluate every six months for any changes. He was a little concerned that the majority of the freckling is at the outer corner where everything flows into the blood stream but we can monitor now for any thickening or changes. We are so relieved and so thankful for the pictures we found on this site so we could identify that it was something to have a specialist examine.  I have pictures that the vet is supposed to email to me and will post them when I receive them.  
 
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rad65

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stephshowers said:
The specialist I took him to said he would lose night vision in that eye if the freckle grew and started touching that ring since that helps focus light, and it could always get worse, so I look at his eye every once in a while to make sure things haven't changed. 
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white shadow

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rad65 said:
The specialist I took him to said he would lose night vision in that eye if the freckle grew and started touching that ring since that helps focus light, and it could always get worse, so I look at his eye every once in a while to make sure things haven't changed. 
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It really does require more than a 'once-in-a-while" look.....ongoing,regular, periodic serial photography is the only accurate method of observation for progression with this condition.
stephshowers said:
...He was a little concerned that the majority of the freckling is at the outer corner where everything flows into the blood stream...
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As all the fluid in the eye chamber is constantly circulating through the cat's body (this is the way any melanoma spreads to other parts of the body), I'm not sure why there'd be a concern about the outer corner. There are two other things to be monitoring as well: any particles floating in the eye chamber and any increase in the eye pressure...both of these can be assessed by your regular Vet.

I have this issue currently with one of mine....

Also........this thread is entitled "Feline Diffuse Iris Melanoma"...this is actually a misnomen. "Simple" pigmentation is known as melanosis. If the pigmentation 'becomes cancerous', it is then "melanoma"
 
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rad65

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White Shadow said:
It really does require more than a 'once-in-a-while" look.....ongoing,regular, periodic serial photography is the only accurate method of observation for progression with this condition.
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Sorry for using such a vague term, but by "once in a while" I meant once a week, and yes, I do take pictures. I didn't feel like explaining in depth the process that I go through.
White Shadow said:
As all the fluid in the eye chamber is constantly circulating through the cat's body (this is the way any melanoma spreads to other parts of the body), I'm not sure why there'd be a concern about the outer corner.
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I explained exactly why the outside of the eye is a concern. The dark ring outside the eye, I forget what it is called, is what focuses extra light and allows cats to see so well in the dark. If the melanosis touches that, it alters the refractive ability of the ring and your cat loses night vision in that eye.
 
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